Ντολμαδάκια Γιαλαντζί (Dolmadakia Gialantzi)
Delicate young vine leaves hand-rolled around a fragrant filling of short-grain rice, sweet onions, abundant fresh dill, spearmint, and lemon, served chilled with tzatziki.
Ingredients
- • 50 preserved or fresh grape vine leaves, rinsed and blanched
- • 200g Greek Carolina or short-grain rice
- • 2 large onions finely chopped, 4 spring onions sliced
- • 1 bunch fresh dill chopped, 1 bunch fresh spearmint (δυόσμος) chopped
- • 120ml Greek extra virgin olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, 1 tsp salt, black pepper
Preparation Steps
Sauté chopped onions and spring onions in 4 tbsp olive oil for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in raw rice, chopped dill, mint, half the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
Lay vine leaves vein-side up on a clean board. Place 1 teaspoon of filling near the stem end. Fold bottom up, fold both sides inward, and roll tightly into a small neat cigar.
Line the base of a wide heavy pot with torn vine leaves. Pack rolled dolmades seam-side down tightly in concentric circles. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and lemon juice, pour over warm water just to cover, and weigh down with an inverted heatproof plate.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Let cool completely in the pot and serve chilled with lemon wedges and tzatziki.