Dolmas Recipe

Prepare grape leaves

Remove grape leaves from jar and place in a colander. Rinse under cool running water to remove brine. Separate leaves and trim any tough stems. If leaves are very large, cut out thick central vein. Place rinsed leaves in a small saucepan, cover with 2 cups fresh water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 2 minutes to soften. Drain and lay leaves flat on a tray, vein-side up.

Assemble dolmas

Place one leaf vein-side up on a work surface with the stem end toward you. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of filling (see Filling directions) near the stem, add a few toasted pine nuts if desired, fold the bottom stem over the filling, fold sides in, and roll tightly toward the tip to form a small cigar about 1 inch thick. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling. Arrange rolled dolmas seam-side down in concentric circles in the prepared pot (see Pot Layer directions), packing them snugly so they won't unravel while cooking.

Finish & serve

After cooking, cool dolmas in the pot to room temperature (about 30–45 minutes) to allow flavors to meld. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with a little olive oil and squeeze fresh lemon over the top. Serve at room temperature or chilled with extra lemon wedges.

Toast pine nuts

Place pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until they are fragrant and lightly golden, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant—do not brown.

Par-cook rice & combine

Add the rinsed rice to the onion and garlic. Stir for 1 minute to coat the grains in oil. Pour 1 1/4 cups hot water or warm vegetable broth over the rice, bring to a simmer, then immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 8 minutes—rice should be mostly cooked but still slightly firm (al dente) because it will finish cooking inside the leaves. Remove from heat and let rest covered 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Finish filling

To the warm rice, stir in toasted pine nuts, chopped dill, parsley, mint, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the optional allspice and cinnamon if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. The mixture should be moist but not wet; if very dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil or a splash of water.

Prepare pot

Line the bottom of a wide, shallow pot with the potato or tomato slices to prevent dolmas from sticking and to weigh them down. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the slices.

Arrange and add liquid

Place the rolled dolmas seam-side down in the pot, packed snugly in concentric circles. When the pot is full, place a heatproof plate upside-down on top of the dolmas to keep them submerged. Mix 1.5 cups water with 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and pour gently into the pot around the edge so you do not disturb the rolls. The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the rolls; add a little more water if needed.

Cook dolmas

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes until rice is tender and leaves are soft. Avoid boiling vigorously so rolls don't burst. After cooking, remove from heat and let the dolmas cool in the pot (still covered) for 30–45 minutes to finish setting and develop flavor.