Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmadakia Yialantzi)

Name: Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmadakia Yialantzi)
Prep time: 1 h 28 min
Cook time: 1 h 3 min
Total time: 2 h 31 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 16 oz jar (about 50–60 leaves) (454 g) jarred grape leaves in brine, drained; 2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, peeled and very finely chopped; 6 whole (60 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts (optional); 1 cup (200 g) medium-grain white rice, uncooked, rinsed in a fine strainer until the water runs mostly clear, then drained well; ¾ cup, packed (30 g) fresh dill, fronds finely chopped; ¼ cup, packed (10 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; ¼ cup, packed (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon; 1 medium (100 g) lemon, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices; 3 cups (720 ml) hot water, hot from the tap; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender grape leaves wrapped around a lemony rice filling bright with dill, mint and sweet onion, then simmered in olive oil and lemon until silky. Serve them at room temperature as a meze or light lunch.

Prep: 1 hr 28 min
Cook: 1 hr 3 min
Wait: 55 min
Total: 3 hr 26 min
Makes: About 40 stuffed grape leaves (5 per serving)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the rolls
16 oz jar (about 50–60 leaves) (454 g) jarred grape leaves in brine, drained
For the filling
2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, peeled and very finely chopped
6 whole (60 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts (optional)
1 cup (200 g) medium-grain white rice, uncooked, rinsed in a fine strainer until the water runs mostly clear, then drained well
¾ cup, packed (30 g) fresh dill, fronds finely chopped
¼ cup, packed (10 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup, packed (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
For the pot
1 medium (100 g) lemon, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
3 cups (720 ml) hot water, hot from the tap
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons

Equipment (9)

Wide heavy pot with lid, 3½–4 quart (3.5–4 L), about 10 inches (26 cm) across
Heat-safe dinner plate, 8–9 inches (20–23 cm), to weigh the rolls down
Large skillet, 12-inch (30 cm)
Large heatproof bowl for soaking leaves
Large mixing bowl
Chef's knife and cutting board
Kitchen scissors or small paring knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Citrus juicer and zester

Steps

Before you start

Rolling 40 leaves takes about 45–60 minutes the first time. Put on music, clear a large work surface and keep the bowl of filling and a plate for finished rolls within reach.
Check the jar: you need at least 50 usable leaves (40 for rolling, 8–10 for lining the pot). If you have fewer, make fewer rolls with a slightly smaller spoonful of filling.
Use medium-grain or short-grain rice (such as Calrose or arborio). Long-grain rice stays firmer and can make the rolls dry.
Choose a heavy, wide pot about 10 inches (26 cm) across with a lid, plus a heat-safe plate that fits inside the pot and is slightly smaller than its diameter.
The rolls are best served at room temperature or chilled, so make them a few hours ahead or the day before.

1
Soak the leaves
- Remove the grape leaves from the jar and unroll them gently.
- Place them in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.
- Let them soak for 10 minutes to remove the brine's saltiness and soften them.
- Drain, then rinse under cool running water and drain again.
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Ready when: Leaves are pliable and taste only mildly salty
Tip: Taste a small piece of leaf. If it is still very salty, soak in fresh hot water for 5 more minutes.
2
Trim and sort
- Lay the leaves on a board shiny side down, so the veiny, matte side faces up.
- Snip off the tough stem at the base of each leaf with scissors.
- Sort into two piles: the 40 best, largest, intact leaves for rolling, and the torn or small leaves (8–10) for lining the pot.
- Any extra leaves are for patching tears.
- Cover the rolling pile with a damp towel so it doesn't dry out.
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Ready when: Stems removed; 40 rolling leaves and 8–10 lining leaves set apart
Tip: Leaves about the size of your palm or bigger are easiest. Overlap two small leaves to make one wrapper if needed.
3
Cook the onions
- Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until soft, translucent and just starting to turn pale gold.
- If using pine nuts, stir them in and cook 2 minutes more until lightly toasted.
- Add the scallions and cook 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Onions are soft and translucent with no raw smell; pine nuts are golden
Tip: Don't let the onions brown deeply. Dark onions will turn the filling bitter and dull its fresh flavor.
4
Mix the filling
- Scrape the onion mixture into a large bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes, until warm rather than hot, so it won't wilt the herbs.
- Stir in the rinsed rice, dill, mint, parsley, lemon zest, the remaining salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice.
- You should have about 2½ cups (600 ml) of moist filling.
- Taste a pinch (the rice is raw, so judge only the seasoning); it should be well salted and lemony.
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Ready when: Herbs and rice evenly distributed through the onions; seasoning tastes bright and slightly over-salted
Tip: The rice absorbs seasoning as it cooks, so the raw mixture should taste a little strong.
5
Line the pot
- Cover the bottom of the wide pot with the torn and small leaves, overlapping them in a single layer.
- Arrange half of the lemon slices over the leaves.
- This layer protects the rolls from scorching and adds flavor.
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Ready when: Pot bottom is completely covered with no gaps
6
Roll the leaves
- Place one leaf on the board shiny side down, veiny side up, with the stem end toward you.
- Spoon a scant tablespoon (about 15 g; 2 teaspoons for small leaves) of filling near the stem end in a short log.
- Fold the stem end up over the filling, fold both sides in toward the center, then roll up toward the tip, like a tiny burrito.
- The veiny side ends up inside and the smooth shiny side on the outside.
- Roll snugly but not tightly: the rice swells as it cooks and a too-tight roll will burst.
- Repeat with the remaining 39 leaves and the filling to make about 40 rolls, setting each seam side down on a plate.
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Ready when: Each roll is a neat cylinder about 2 inches (5 cm) long and finger-thick, with the tip tucked underneath, and the filling is used up
Tip: If a leaf tears, patch it with a piece of another leaf. Overfilling is the most common reason rolls unravel.
7
Pack the pot
- Arrange the rolls seam side down in the lined pot, packed snugly side by side in tight rows.
- Build a second layer on top, placed perpendicular to the first.
- Tuck the remaining lemon slices between and over the rolls.
- Tight packing keeps them from unrolling during simmering.
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Ready when: Rolls are tightly nestled with no loose space to shift
Tip: Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) between the top layer and the pot rim so the plate and lid fit.
8
Add liquid and weigh down
- Whisk together the hot water (3 cups / 720 ml), ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil and ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice and pour it evenly over the rolls.
- Set the heat-safe plate upside down directly on the rolls.
- The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the rolls (just below the top layer's upper surface, where it is visible around the plate).
- The lid will go over the plate in the next step.
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Ready when: Plate rests directly on the rolls and liquid is visible around its edges
Tip: If the liquid doesn't come up that high, add more hot water, ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time.
9
Simmer gently
- Put the lid on the pot, over the plate.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes without lifting the lid for the first 30 minutes.
- At 40 minutes, peek: there should still be some liquid.
- At 45 minutes, lift out one roll with a spoon, let it cool a minute and cut it open.
- The rice should be fully tender with no hard white center, and only a few tablespoons of liquid and olive oil should remain at the bottom.
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Ready when: Rice is tender all the way through, leaves are soft and olive-green to olive-brown, and most liquid has been absorbed
Tip: If the pot looks nearly dry at 40 minutes, or the rice is still firm at 45, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water and simmer covered 10 more minutes, then test again.
10
Rest and serve
- Turn off the heat and leave the rolls covered in the pot, plate in place, for 30 minutes so they firm up and absorb the remaining juices.
- Lift the rolls onto a platter with a spoon or small spatula.
- Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled, with the lemon slices from the pot and a drizzle of olive oil if you like.
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Ready when: Rolls are firm, glossy and hold their shape when lifted
Tip: Moving them while piping hot can make them split.

Good to know

Tips

Roll with the veiny side facing up so it ends up inside and the smooth shiny side is on the outside; the veiny side is more textured and grips the filling.
Rinse the rice well. Surface starch can make the filling gummy inside the leaf.
Don't skip the plate. It keeps the rolls submerged and from floating open while they simmer.
Serve with thick Greek yogurt or tzatziki and lemon wedges for dipping.

Make ahead

Make the rolls up to 2 days ahead. Cool completely in the pot, transfer to an airtight container with a little of the cooking liquid and refrigerate. Their flavor improves after a night in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: in an airtight container with a drizzle of olive oil, up to 5 days. Freezer: freeze in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature, or reheat covered in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15 minutes, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts with a splash of water.

Substitutions

jarred grape leaves in brine → fresh grape leaves, blanched. Blanch fresh leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and trim. Use about 50 leaves and skip the soaking step.
medium-grain white rice → short-grain brown rice, parboiled. Parboil for 15 minutes before mixing and extend the simmer time by about 15 minutes. Add extra hot water if needed.
pine nuts → currants or raisins (2 tablespoons). Adds a traditional sweet note. Stir in with the rice instead of cooking with the onions.
fresh mint leaves → extra dill or parsley. Use an additional ¼ cup of either herb if you have no fresh mint.