A fresh take on a Mediterranean classic, packed with flavour from lots of fresh herbs, garlic and onions.
Unpack the vine leaves and soak them in a bowl with filtered water overnight. This helps get rid of the excess salt and makes the leaves more tender.
In another bowl, soak the rice in filtered water.
Drain and rinse both the vine leaves and rice and then move on to the filling.
In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and salt until they're translucent. Add in the chopped garlic and pine nuts and keep sautéing until they're golden brown and fragrant.
Add in the rice and toasted for a couple of mins, toss in the herbs then cover with vegetable stock. We're only partially cooking the rice, so don't worry if the amount of liquid doesn't seem sufficient.
On low heat, keep mixing the rice until all the stock has been absorbed. Then turn off the heat, cover and set aside to cool.
Firstly, cover the bottom of a large pot with vine leaves. It's a good idea use the imperfect ones with holes in them that can't be rolled into dolmas.
Then, using about 1-1/2 tbsp of filling (this will also depend on the size of the leaf) roll the dolmas. This is a great video explaining the rolling process: https://youtu.be/37hlFns0c4A.
Stack all the rolled dolmas onto the pan, layering them on top of each other.
You may have a bit of leftover filling in the end, which you can cook like you would normal rice for another delicious dish.
Cover the dolmas with any excess/imperfect leaves. This is crucial to keep dolmas fresh and moist. Place lemon slices on top and pour in the remainder of the olive oil (1/4 cup).
Pour in about 1400ml of water (approximately 6 cups), turn the heat to medium, and bring to a boil.
Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cover with a lid. Let the dolmas cook for about 90 mins. Make sure to take one out to test after the 1 hour mark and see if it requires further cooking. The rice should be fully cooked and the leaves should melt in your mouth.
Once cooked, leave the dolmas to cool then place in the fridge. They taste best when cooled in the fridge overnight, but if you don't have the patience, feel free to dig in before!
Note: These will keep fresh for up to a week in the fridge. Always make sure to keep the leaf cover and lid on to prevent drying.
Serving Size 1
Servings 0