Best Stuffed Grape Leaves With Rice And Herbs Dolmades Recipes

DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Now on to the grape leaves.
• Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels.
• To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar ¿ it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.
• Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH RICE AND HERBS (DOLMADES)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Rinse well the grape leaves under running water. Add them to the hot water a few at a time, and blanch them stirring gently for 4-5 minutes or until pliable. Drain leaves and place them on a clean towel to cool. Trim the hard stems and any hard veins from the leaves, set them on paper towels to dry while you prepare the filling.
• To a skillet add ½ cup of the olive oil and lightly sauté the onion and scallions under medium heat. Add the rice and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to coat. Add the water and cook the rice for 5 minutes more, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Mix in the dill, parsley, salt & pepper and remove from heat. Allow the mixture cool.
• Cover the bottom of a 5-qt. pot with 3-4 large grape leaves. Choosing the smaller (and most tender) leaves, place a few of them on a work surface, with the stem side facing up. Working with one grape leaf at a time, place about a scant tablespoon or less of the rice mixture near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling and then fold the right and left sides over the top. Roll to create a tight cylinder - it should be snug but not overly tight as it will expand as the rice cooks. Transfer each stuffed grape leaf, seam side down, to the pot. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and rice mixture, fitting each one snugly in the bottom of the saucepan.
• Whisk remaining oil, lemon juice, and 1 cup of warm water in a medium bowl, sprinkle with some salt and pour carefully over the stuffed grape leaves. Cover stuffed leaves with an inverted heatproof plate to keep them submerged; bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the grape leaves are tender and the rice filling is cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. Remove plate and transfer stuffed leaves to a serving dish; pour some of the cooking liquid over the top and serve at room temperature. Plain yogurt or tzatziki goes well alongside this classic dish.

GREEK DOLMADES RECIPE (STUFFED VINE/ GRAPE LEAVES DOLMATHES)

Steps:

• To make this traditional Greek dolmades recipe (stuffed vine/ grape leaves), start by preparing the vine leaves. For this dolmades recipe, you can either use vine leaves sold in jars or fresh (if you are lucky enough to find them). If you use the ones in jar, rinse the vine leaves, remove the stems and leave them in a colander to drain. If using fresh vine leaves, wash them thoroughly, remove the stems and blanch them in boiling hot water. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander to cool down completely.
• Prepare the filling for the stuffed vine/ grape leaves (dolmades). Place the rice in a colander and rinse with running water. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add 1/3 of the olive oil and the chopped onions. Sauté the onions, until translucent (but not coloured). Add the rice and sauté for 1 more minute. Pour in 2 cups of warm water and half lemon juice and simmer for about 7 minutes, until the rice absorbs all the water and is parboiled. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the herbs, remove from the stove and set aside to cool down for a while. This will be the filling for the dolmades.
• Layer the bottom of a large pot with some vine leaves (use the ones that are little bit torn) and start rolling the dolmadakia. (This is probably the most difficult part of the traditional dolmades recipe). Place one vine leaf (shiny side down) on a flat surface and add 1 tsp of the filling at the bottom end (stem). Be careful not to overfill the dolmades, as the rice will expand during cooking. Fold the lower section of the leaf over the filling towards the center; bring the two sides in towards the center and roll them up tightly. Place the stuffed vine leaves (fold side down) on the bottom of the pot and top in snugly layers. Be careful not to leave any gaps between the dolmades to prevent them from cracking open when cooking.
• Drizzle the stuffed vine leaves (dolmathes) with the rest of the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place an inverted plate on top to hold them down when cooking and pour in enough water just to cover them. Place the lid on and simmer the dolmades for about 30-40 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the dolmades remain only with the oil.
• Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid and plate and let the dolmades cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Serve this delicious Greek appetizer cold or at room temperature with a squeeze of a lemon. Give this traditional dolmades recipe a try and enjoy your own fresh homemade stuffed grape leaves (dolmades)!

DOLMATHAKIA (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH RICE AND HERBS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse the leaves well to remove brine.
• Place the leaves in boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes to soften them and make them more pliable. Remove from water and set aside.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the rice, parsley, dill, pine nuts, mint, salt, and pepper. Taste test and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Allow the filling to cool about 10 minutes.​
• Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan with 2 or 3 grape leaves (use the broken or torn ones for this).
• Roll the dolmathakia by placing a leaf with the stem toward you on a flat surface. The underside of the leaf should be face up. (The veins of the leaf are raised on the underside.) Using the point of a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem of the leaf. Overlap the bottom two sections of the leaf toward the center.
• Place a tablespoon of filling in the bottom center of the leaf, just above the stem.
• Fold the bottom section up to cover the filling.
• Fold the sides in toward the center.
• Continue rolling the packet up toward the top point of the leaf.
• Place the rolls in layers, seam-side down, in the saucepan.
• Pour remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over the dolmathakia and enough water to cover them by about 1 inch.
• Place an inverted heatproof plate on top of the rolls to keep them submerged in the water.
• Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice filling is cooked through.
• Serve and enjoy!

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH RICE (DOLMADES)

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring until rice begins to color. Cover; lower heat to low. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in the water, dill, pine nuts, salt and pepper, simmer 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each grape leaf with the shiny surface down. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling; roll up loosely (the rice will swell when cooked). Place rolls in layers in a Dutch oven.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 1/12 cups hot water. Place a heatproof plate over the rolls to prevent them from opening. Cover; simmer over low heat 1 hour. Let cool in the pan; refrigerate until ready to serve.