As I have mentioned in previous posts, Greek kitchen is very much influenced by MiddleΕastern flavors due to the ottoman occupation of the country from 1453 till 1821 and the Greek refugees, who came here after Greece’s defeat from Turks in 1921.
One of the dishes these people brought here was dolmà. Dolmà or dolmàdes in plural, are stuffed vine leaves of cabbage leaves with rice in Lent periods or ground veal and rice in avgolemono sauce during all the other days.
I have been meaning to make dolmàdes for a long time now, maybe too long to be honest and I never got the chance to do it. I have no idea why, perhaps because other things caught my eye and wanted to share them with you or perhaps because dolmàdes are a bit fussy and time consuming. Not their preparation per sé, but their wrapping.
Well, time has come eventually and since we are in a Lent period, I thought I should share the recipe and give you some ideas of serving them. They are very aromatic and packed with flavors and since you are not fastening you can serve them with Greek yogurt aromatized with minced garlic clove. You cannot believe how tasty they are this way. Also, they can be eaten warm, at room temperature or straight form the fridge which makes them ideal for a buffet or a picnic. You can make them ahead of time and just serve them whenever.
When I was a child my grandmother used to make them and I was watching how she wrapped the leaves around the stuffing. Later on, when we had guests at home my mother was preparing the stuffing and I was wrapping them.
What I love about food is, that it brings to my memory loving moments of my childhood and loving persons who are no longer with me. Through food and by making dishes of the past, I believe I cherish the memory of my grandparents and keep them alive in my heart.
In this dish one thing is very important and in a sense determines its success; the good quality of the vine leaves. If you can find fresh ones, these are the best. You first boil them to soften and then proceed with the recipe. If you cannot find fresh ones, then you must buy the store bought but be careful to be of a good quality. Nevertheless, even then the leaves can be a bit hard and need more boiling. Testing one after the end of the normal cooking time, will help you check if they are done or need a bit more. Don’t forget that vine leaves are a natural produce and has an unpredictable behavior.
Having said all that, I will go to my kitchen and show you how we make this delicious Greek mezé that you can serve along with a good wine or a glass of ouzo.
Dolmades Gialatzì
Ingredients
A vase of vine leaves about 40 pieces
1 cup of rice
1 cup of water
2 large onions, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 tsp ground mint
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 ½ tsp salt for the stuffing + 1 tsp for the stock in which we will boil them
Ground pepper
Juice of two lemons
1 ½ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup olive oil + 5 tbsp for sautéing the onions and rice
Instructions
Take a deep pot, pour the 5 tbsp of olive oil and put in medium/high heat.
Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the scallions and rice and sauté for another one minute.
Pour the 1 cup of water the parsley, dill, mint, salt and pepper.
Lower the heat to low and cook until rice is half done.
Remove from fire and put aside.
Take a deep, large pot and place a layer of vine leaves on the bottom.
Take a plate and grab one vine leaf.
Make sure you face the rough side of the leaf, the one that shows the nerves of it.
In the central top, place a hipping teaspoon of the stuffing and start wrapping the way I show in the pictures.
Arrange the dolmàdes the one close to the other with no spaces in between them.
When you finish wrapping all the leaves, pour the ¼ cup of olive oil on top of them.
Salt them and pepper them and pour the vegetable stock and the juice of lemons.
Place a soup plate upside down on top of them and place the lid.
Put the pot on the stove in medium/high heat.
When it starts to boil reduce to low and let them simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.
Before turning off the heat, taste one to see if the leaves are soft.
If they are kind of hard, let them simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more.
Serve either alone or with a sauce made with a cup of Greek yogurt and one or two garlic cloves minced!
Dolmades Gialatzì
Author/ Συγγραφέας: Katerina
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Appetizer
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Greek
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
- A vase of vine leaves about 40 pieces
- 1 cup of rice
- 1 cup of water
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp ground mint
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 2 ½ tsp salt for the stuffing + 1 tsp for the stock in which we will boil them
- Ground pepper
- Juice of two lemons
- 1 ½ cup vegetable stock
- ¼ cup olive oil + 5 tbsp for sautéing the onions and rice
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
- Take a deep pot, pour the 5 tbsp of olive oil and put in medium/high heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the scallions and rice and sauté for another one minute.
- Pour the 1 cup of water the parsley, dill, mint, salt and pepper.
- Lower the heat to low and cook until rice is half done.
- Remove from fire and put aside.
- Take a deep, large pot and place a layer of vine leaves on the bottom.
- Take a plate and grab one vine leaf.
- Make sure you face the rough side of the leaf, the one that shows the nerves of it.
- In the central top, place a hipping teaspoon of the stuffing and start wrapping the way I show in the pictures.
- Arrange the dolmàdes the one close to the other with no spaces in between them.
- When you finish wrapping all the leaves, pour the ¼ cup of olive oil on top of them.
- Salt them and pepper them and pour the vegetable stock and the juice of lemons.
- Place a soup plate upside down on top of them and place the lid.
- Put the pot on the stove in medium/high heat.
- When it starts to boil reduce to low and let them simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Before turning off the heat, taste one to see if the leaves are soft.
- If they are kind of hard, let them simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Serve either alone or with a sauce made with a cup of Greek yogurt and one or two garlic cloves minced!
Author: Katerina Delidimou
No comments:
Post a Comment