Dolmades
Ντολμάδες
Vine leaves rolled tight around rice with onion, dill, mint and parsley, simmered in olive oil and lemon, and served cool with lemon wedges.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Ντολμάδες.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 1 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Greek dolmades in this form are dolmadakia gialantzi, the meatless kind: vine leaves wrapped around raw rice mixed with softened onion and spring onion, a lot of dill, mint and parsley, olive oil and lemon. They are packed tight in a pot, weighed down with a plate and simmered in water, oil and lemon juice until the rice is soft and the leaves are tender. They are eaten at room temperature or cold, with lemon wedges and often a bowl of thick yoghurt. Rolling is the slow part. Roll them firm but not tight, because the rice swells, and keep the plate on so they do not unroll.
What you'll need
12 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Vine leaves, from a jar, or fresh young leaves50
- Short-grain rice, medium or short-grain, such as Carolina or arborio, rinsed250 g
- Onion, finely chopped2 medium
- Spring onion, chopped4
- Dill, chopped1 bunch
- Mint, fresh leaves, chopped1 handful
- Parsley, flat-leaf, chopped1 bunch
- Olive oil, half for the filling, half over the pot150 ml
- Lemon, two juiced, one in wedges3
- Water, hot500 ml
- Salt7.4 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
If the leaves are from a jar, rinse them in several changes of water and soak for 10 minutes to draw out the brine. If fresh, blanch them in boiling water for a minute until they turn olive green, then drop into cold water. Snip off the stems. Keep torn leaves aside to line the pot.
15 min
Step 2
Warm half the oil in a frying pan and soften the onion and spring onion over low heat for 8 minutes without colouring. Off the heat, stir in the rinsed rice, dill, mint, parsley, salt, pepper and the juice of one lemon. The rice stays raw.
10 min
Step 3
Lay a leaf shiny side down with the stem end towards you. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling near the stem, fold the bottom over it, fold in the sides, and roll up firmly into a neat parcel about 6 cm long. Repeat with the rest.
35 min
Tip: Do not overfill. The rice nearly doubles, and fat rolls burst.
Step 4
Line the base of a wide saucepan with the torn leaves. Pack the rolls in seam side down, in tight circles and layers. Pour over the remaining oil, the juice of the second lemon and enough hot water to just cover. Set an upturned plate on top to hold them down.
5 min
Step 5
Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for 45 to 50 minutes, until the rice is soft and most of the liquid has gone. Taste one to check.
50 min
Watch: Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil tears the leaves open.
Step 6
Leave them to cool in the pot with the plate still on, at least an hour. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges, and thick yoghurt if you like.
60 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 44 kcal
- Protein
- 0.6 g
- Carbs
- 3.4 g
- Fat
- 3.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.5 g
- Fibre
- 0.5 g
- Sugar
- 0.6 g
- Sodium
- 95 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Water → Light vegetable stock
A little more savoury. Reduce the salt in the filling slightly.
Tips
- They are better the next day. Keep them in the fridge in their juices for up to four days and bring them back to room temperature.
- For the Constantinople style, add 30 g toasted pine nuts and a spoon of currants to the filling.
History & culture
They are meze, on the table with ouzo, feta and olives, and they are Lenten food, because the gialantzi version has no meat. Families make them in late spring when the leaves are young and tender, and brine or freeze leaves for the rest of the year. The meat-and-rice kind, served hot under avgolemono, is a separate dish for the winter table.
Stuffed vine leaves are shared across the old Ottoman world, and the Greek name comes from the Turkish dolmak, to fill. Gialantzi is from the Turkish yalancı, liar, because they are stuffed without meat. Greeks from Constantinople and Asia Minor brought richer versions with pine nuts and currants when they settled in Greece in the 20th century, which is why some families add them.
Traditional — This is the meatless gialantzi version eaten cool. The version with minced meat is rolled the same way, served hot and finished with avgolemono. In northern Greece cabbage leaves replace vine leaves in winter, which makes lachanodolmades.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Dolmades take?
2 hr 50 min all in — 1 hr prep, 50 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 45 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan, Chef's knife, Cutting board.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Water → Light vegetable stock. A little more savoury. Reduce the salt in the filling slightly.
What should I watch for?
Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil tears the leaves open.
Any tips from this recipe?
They are better the next day. Keep them in the fridge in their juices for up to four days and bring them back to room temperature. For the Constantinople style, add 30 g toasted pine nuts and a spoon of currants to the filling.
Can I prepare this ahead?
They are better the next day. Keep them in the fridge in their juices for up to four days and bring them back to room temperature.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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