Dolma Recipe (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

An easy recipe for dolma or stuffed grape leaves that's healthy and hearty. Check out our video and step-by-step tutorial to see how simple it is to make this recipe. 

If you love classic Mediterranean recipes like vegan lentil meatballs, spanakopita and briam, you're going to love today's recipe: dolma, also known as dolmades or stuffed grape leaves.  Once you try this vegetarian dolma recipe, you won't bother to order it at a restaurant. And the best part? You can make a big batch and freeze them! 

Table Of Contents:

• What is dolma?
• Turkish dolmas vs Greek dolmades
• Are stuffed grape leaves vegetarian?
• Ingredients to make dolma
• Fresh grape leaves vs. jarred grape leaves
• How to make stuffed grape leaves
• Tips to make this recipe
• Serving suggestions
• Frequently asked questions
• More Vegetarian Mediterranean Recipes
• Step-by-Step Recipe

You can find dolma in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries such as Iran (check out my Persian dolmeh recipe), Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and the Balkans. Each country has a special recipe for dolma and you may even encounter regional variations. Some are only vegetarian whereas some also incorporate rice and meat. 

What does dolma mean? The word dolma comes from the Turkish verb dolmak, which means to fill. 

Turkish dolmas, known as yaprak sarmasi, usually contains a bit of tomato paste and pine nuts whereas the Greek version known as dolmades contains more herbs such as green onions and dill. It's important to note that in both cuisines stuffed grape leaved should be rolled into cigars. 

• Grape leaves: You can use fresh or jarred grape leaves for this recipe. We'll talk more about the difference between the two below.
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best for this recipe. It's used to make the filling and you can also drizzle it over the dolmas for cooking.
• Onion: White or yellow onions are preferred.
• Short grain rice: Make sure not to use basmati or any other long grain rice as they will double in size when cooked. Short grain rice such as jasmine would work well.
• Tomato paste: Not tomato sauce or tomato puree. For this recipe, you need simple tomato paste. 
• Cinnamon: Adds a little warmth and depth to the filling.
• Dried mint: This is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. It's available at many supermarkets and also Mediterranean shops.
• Pine nuts: You can leave this out if it's not available. It adds a nice nuttiness to the dish.
• Parsley: Adds freshness and so much flavor to the filling.

I prefer using jarred grape leaves because the leaves are usually big and easy to roll. I also like the fact that an unopened jar of grape leaves in brine keeps indefinitely. It's best to stock up on a few jars since they keep for a very long time. 

Make the filling

• Heat some olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add in the rice and cook for just a few minutes.
• Add the tomato paste, cinnamon, dried mint, sugar, pine nuts, parsley and salt. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off. 

Roll the leaves

• Set aside 5-6 grape leaves to cover the bottom of the pot.
• Lay a grape leaf flat in front of you on a clean surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture on the leaf (near where the stem was) and then start rolling.
• To roll, fold on the left and right side, then the bottom and then roll tightly into a cigar. Don't stuff the grape leaf too much. Ideally, each dolma should be as thick as a finger. 

Cook the stuffed grape leaves

• Cover the bottom of a large pot with a few grape leaves that you've set aside and place dolmas in the pot to cover the bottom.
• Layer the dolmas on top of each other and nestle them tightly next to each other to make sure they won't open up when cooking.
• When all the dolmas are in the pot, pour ½ cup vegetable oil over the dolmas. Shake the pot a bit to make sure the oil goes all the way to the bottom of the pot.
• Gently pour boiling water over the dolmas until it barely covers them.
• Place a plate upside down on the stuffed grape leaves and cover with a lid.
• Place the pot over medium high heat until the water starts simmering. Turn the heat on low and cook covered. 

Tips to make this recipe

1. Use medium or short grain rice: The rice is cooked partially when you prepare the filling and will finish cooking when it's stuffed in the grape leaves. Therefore, it's important to use rice that doesn't get too large or long when cooked. I suggest you use short or medium grain rice such as jasmine rice. Avoid basmati rice since it gets longer and longer when cooked and might stick out of the grape leaves. 
2. Don't overstuff the dolmas: The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of rice mixture for each grape leaf. Feel free to use less if the grape leaf is not big enough. It's important to avoid over-stuffing the grape leaves.
3. Arrange tightly: Make sure to arrange the stuffed grape leaves tightly and seam side down. Once all the dolmas are in the pot, invert a plate on top and gently press to keep the grape leaves from floating.
4. Use it all up: When you start making this recipe, go ahead and use the whole jar of grape leaves. A complete jar of grape leaves gives you more than enough dolmades but you can simply freeze the leftovers and enjoy them later. 

Dolma is usually served as an addition to a mezze platter. You can serve it alongside Turkish tomato salad (gavurdagi), hummus, muhammara, cacik, and baba ganoush. 

Frequently asked questions

More Vegetarian Mediterranean Recipes

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Step-by-Step Recipe