Dolmathes gialantzi (dolmathes with rice)

DOLMATHES WITH RICE

Evangeline and I were in Dromana the last few days and along with the bag of homegrown zucchini, lemons, mint, peaches and cherry tomatoes I collected young vine leaves..  I haven't eaten dolmathes since I made them back in July while I was in Greece.  Here is the recipe and some photos from my dolmatha making day.

DOLMATHES

4 cups  short grain rice

1 bunch spring onions

1-2 large onion

1/2 bunch of dill

1 bunch mint

1 tablespoons salt

lemon

fresh vine leaves or 1 packet vine leaves in brine

1 cup olive oil

Preparation

1. Wash the spring onions to remove all signs of dirt.  Chop very finely. 

2. Peel and grate the onion

3. Rinse the dill and mint leaves and pat dry.  Chop finely

4. Half fill the sink with water and remove vine leaves from package.  Place them in sink and carefully separate leaves and rinse off the brine. If using fresh wash them and blanch in hot water to make them pliable..

5. Cut lemon in half.  Squeeze ½. Thinly slice other ½.

5. Wipe down the kitchen table or better yet cover with clean plastic tablecloth.    

Pour oil in hot saucepan and sauté onion and spring onion. Add dill and mint and stir for a further 1 minute.  Carefully pour rice in saucepan and stir well. Add salt and ½ squeezed lemon juice. Stir through and take of heat to cool.

While the rice mixture cooling take rinsed vine leaves and place them in rows on table.  Make sure that the shiny side is facing down and the veiny  side is up.  Place one teaspoon of rice mixture and tightly roll up in cigar shape. Check out how to roll here.

Place a layer of left over vine leaves in the saucepan making sure they overlap so you don’t see the bottom of the saucepan.  Layer the dolmathes in saucepan.  When finished place the lemon slices top and layer with remaining vine leaves.  Place a small plate face down on top of the dolmathes to hold down and carefully add 1 ½ litres of warm water over the top (or enough to cover the dolmathes) and a drizzle of olive oil.  Cook on low to medium heat for about 40 hour.  Turn  the heat off and let the dolmathes completely cool in the covered saucepan before removing them and placing in a plastic container to store in the fridge.  

Note: These are always made the day before to allow for them to cool down..Serve with greek yoghurt!

Ingredients ready!

Dad picking the leaves of the vines he cut.  Bless him!

the fun begins

…and here they are on a simple mezze plate ready for lunch!