Dolmades - Stuffed Vine Leaves
Dolmades, or Dolmades me Kima, were a staple for me growing up 🥹 In true Greek family fashion, only my yiayia’s were considered the best ✨
Sharing this recipe with you all is my ode to my yiayia ❤️
Ingredients
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
250g 5% fat pork mince
500g 5% fat beef mince
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 beef stock cube, mixed with 2 cups hot water
Handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 cup rice, washed
1 lemon, squeezed
Salt and pepper
Vine leaves in brine
1 hr 25 mins to prepare and cook | Serves 4-5
Method
In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil over a medium heat. After a minute, add the chopped red onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
Add the mincemeats to the saucepan and roughly mash using the back of the wooden spoon. Continue cooking on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the mincemeat browns.
Grate the garlic and stir through the tomato purée, along with half the beef stock. Stir until everything is combined.
Then add the chopped herbs and rice and cook covered with a lid on a low heat until the liquid reduces. This will take about 10-15 minutes. You want the rice to be partially cooked.
Drain the vine leaves from the brine. Take one and lay it out flat on a clean surface, making sure to unfold the edges and stem. Place a heaped tablespoon of the rice mixture in the middle of the vine leaf and start by folding from the bottom end, then the sides and rolling to form the dolmades shape. Repeat this until the rice mixture is finished (this will yield approximately 50 dolmades).
In a deep saucepan, lay out vine leaves at the bottom. Then carefully place the dolmades one by one in the saucepan, layering them up.
Pour the other cup of beef stock and lemon juice, and flatten the dolmades using a plate. Cover the saucepan with a lid and place on a low heat for half an hour until the liquid has reduced and the dolmades are cooked.
