Ingredients
(for ½ kilo of fresh vine leaves)
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½ kilo fresh vine leaves
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2 cups rice (I usually use half short-grain rice and half Carolina rice)
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2 large or 3 medium dry onions, grated or finely chopped by hand
(not blended in a food processor) -
1 bunch (5–6) spring onions, finely chopped
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1 cup olive oil (half for the filling and half for the pot)
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1 bunch parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
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1 bunch dill, finely chopped (about 1 cup or slightly less)
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1 small bunch mint (about ½ cup or a little more)
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1 large tomato, grated
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2 artichokes, finely chopped
(or 1 zucchini grated and 1 eggplant finely chopped) -
Salt
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Black pepper
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Juice of 1 lemon for the pot and 1–2 lemons for serving
Method
Rinse the vine leaves and remove their stems. Gather them into small bundles.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and blanch the leaves a few at a time (about ten at a time).
Push them into the water and turn them all over together so they change colour. Vine leaves at this time of year are so tender that they only need very brief blanching.
Prepare the filling. Finely chop the onions, herbs, vegetables and tomato. Add salt and pepper and half a cup of olive oil. Rub the mixture gently with your hands so the herbs soften slightly and their aromas blend together. I still remember my grandmother tasting a little of the juices from the mixture with a teaspoon at this stage, to check the seasoning. Add the rice.
Pour one or two tablespoons of olive oil into the pot and line the bottom with vine leaves. Take each leaf and place a small amount of filling — about one full teaspoon — where the stem was.
Fold the top part of the leaf over the filling, tuck in the sides and roll it up like a small pastry. Arrange the dolmades neatly in the pot, with the folded side facing down.
When all the dolmades are arranged, pour over the remaining olive oil, add a little more salt and the lemon juice. Cover again with vine leaves and place a heavy plate on top. Add water until it reaches about halfway up the last layer.
Place the pot on the heat. When it comes to the boil, lower the temperature and let the food simmer gently. The heat must remain low so the dolmades do not open and do not stick or burn. Add a little more water from time to time (preferably hot) until the dish is fully cooked (this time I added 3 or 4 more cups).
Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered so the food can rest and absorb its juices.
Serve by removing the dolmades one by one and accompany them with lemon. They pair beautifully with yogurt, feta, small fried fish, boiled snails or boumpouristi snails. For salad, simple cucumber with olive oil and vinegar is more than enough.
Tips from Crete
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Fresh grape leaves are abundant in spring — the ideal time to make dolmadakia.
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Place a small plate inside the pot to prevent the rolls from unraveling.
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This dish can be eaten warm or at room temperature — a perfect mezze or main course during fasting.
For photos and the original Greek article:
Read the Greek original on CretanGastronomy:
https://www.cretangastronomy.gr/2021/04/dolmadakia-megalis-pemptis/
