Dolmadakia-Stuffed Grape Leaves

Dolmadakia - stuffed grape leaves are one of the most iconic Greek foods. With lots of dill, mint, scallions, and tender rice, they are a delicacy that can not be missed.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cretan, Greek

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Servings

Calories 496kcal

Author by Jenny | The Greek Foodie

Equipment

Large pot
Small strainer

Ingredients

60-70 grape leaves or a 16.oz jar-stems removed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions sliced. Substitute with one onion finely diced. See notes below.
1 ripe tomato Finely diced or grated, juices included.
½ cup fennel fronds finely chopped
2 cups rice Carolina
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
½ cup finely chopped dill
2 cups vegetable broth Totally optional; you can use water instead. You might not need all of the broth.
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

For the yogurt sauce

1 lb Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fresh grape leaves preparation

Boil leaves for 2-3 minutes in salted water. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer in a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain leaves in a colander.
Using a sharp knife remove the stalks and any thick nerves that may be on some of the leaves.

Jarred grape leaves in brine preparation

Take leaves out of the jar, put them in a colander, rinse them well with cold water and let them drain.

Stuff and roll the grape leaves

In a large bowl, mix the rice, scallions, dill, mint, fennel, and tomato (with its juices) with ½ cup olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt, and some freshly ground pepper.
Line the bottom of a large pot with 3 layers of grape leaves.
Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of each leaf, then fold the bottom sides of the leaf over the filling. Make them overlap each other.
Fold the left and right sides over, then roll tightly to make a roughly 2-inch by ¹⁄₂–inch cigar shape.
Place the roll, seam side down, in the lined pot. Continue with the remaining leaves and filling, placing them tightly together in the pot and continuing onto a second layer if necessary.
Add the remaining ½ cup of oil and just enough warm water -or broth to cover the leaves. Place a plate upside down over leaves to keep them from moving. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, cook until the rice and leaves are tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove the pot and let the dolmadakia cool.

Make the yogurt sauce

In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the chopped dill and mint and a tablespoon of olive oil.
Serve the dolmadakia at room temperature or chilled, drizzled with olive oil and alongside lemon wedges for squeezing and the Greek yogurt sauce for dipping or topping.

Notes

Naturally, you will lose some of the leaves due to tearing or holes that might be already on them. Don't discard them; use the broken leaves to line the pot. The lining will prevent scorching the dolmadakia while cooking.
You can first saute the scallions, fennel, and rice with olive oil and then mix it with the remaining ingredients. They will get fragrant and sweet when first sauteed for a few minutes.
Grate zucchini and a small eggplant and add it to the rice mixture for another Cretan variety of these dolmades. When in the season, you can also add a grated artichoke heart.
Do you have leftover rice mixture? Stuff some veggies, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with the delicious mixture. After you take out the flesh from the veggies, add it to the rice. Next, you can bake the veggies with broth and olive oil in the oven. Check out this cooking method for gemista.
Want to make sure dolmadakia are fully cooked? After 45 minutes, uncover the pot and carefully lift the plate with the help of a fork. Take one dolma out with the fork, wait for it to cool, and try it. Is the rice cooked fully? If not, cover the rest of the dolmades with the plate and cook until the rice is soft and fully cooked. If needed, add a little hot water -or broth (don't overdo it with the water).

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition