Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Homemade Dolma are such a delicious and healthy snack or appetizer. They're great finger food served warm, room temperature, or cold!
Servings: 25 Dolmas
Ingredients
- 25-30 grape leaves , plus more to line the pan
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 5 tablespoons arborio rice , partially cooked and rinsed
- 1 medium sweet onion , minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small bunch cilantro , chopped
- 10 large basil leaves , chopped
- 10 medium mint leaves , chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- salt and black pepper , to taste
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cups water (or more depending on the size of your pan)
Instructions
- Take grape leaves out of the jar, and rinse well. Remove stems. Set torn leaves aside to line the pan later.
- To partially cook rice, add rice and 2/3 cups of water to a small pan. Bring to a boil and let simmer 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a sieve and rinse under cold water.
- Add butter and vegetable oil to a medium pan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, cooked onion, partially cooked rice, all the chopped herbs, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- On a clean working surface, place a grape leaf shiny side down. Put about 2 tablespoons of the beef/rice mixture in the middle of the leave, closer to the stem. Fold the bottom part of the leaf, covering the filling. Then fold two sides over and roll the leaf up so it's snug. Repeat with all the remaining leaves and filling.
- Line a large pan with grape leaves. Put dolmas on top, close to each other. (You can make two layers if needed.) Add water to barely cover dolmas. (2 cups if using an 11-inch pan.)
- Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Place an inverted plate or a smaller lid on top of the dolmas to prevent them from floating and unwrapping.
- Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 60-75 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 15-30 minutes.
- Serve dolmas with my homemade Tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Use a different meat or make them vegetarian. Substitute some of the ground beef with ground turkey, or use half beef and half lamb. Or omit the meat and add 1/2 cup more rice.
Experiment with different herbs and spices. If you don't like cilantro, use parsley. Mint not your thing? Leave it out. Try adding in a little oregano, thyme, allspice, or garlic for a different flavor.
Add some dried currants and/or pine nuts. Some stuffed grape leaves include dried currants and/or pine nuts, which add a little sweetness or nuttiness.
Read through the entire article for helpful tips and proper storage.
Nutrition
Serving: 1dolma | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg