Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe | Turkish Dolma Recipe

Instructions

Starting with an important question is necessary because the recipe will be shaped accordingly.

Will you use pickled grape leaves or fresh leaves?

Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe with Pickled Leaves

Pickled leaves contain extra salt, which can make your food too salty. So start by removing this salt that they have. Wash your pickled leaves with plenty of water without damaging the leaves.

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Put the leaves in the water. Soak for 10 minutes, pour out the water, fill the bowl with clean hot water, put the leaves in it, and let it sit for another 10 minutes.

Repeat this process at least 5 times. Wash the leaves for the last time with plenty of water; they are now free of extra salt.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe with Fresh Leaves

If you prepare stuffed grape leaves with fresh leaves, take a large pot on the stove. Add boiled water to it. Turn on the stove. Boil until the leaves turn from green to yellow.

Recommendation: It will be enough for fresh leaves to boil for 5-10 minutes. When the leaves turn a little yellow and become the wrappable form, take them out of the water and drain the extra water.

And they are ready. Your pickled or fresh leaves are now ready. Now, set them aside, and you can start preparing the filling. Put 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the thoroughly washed and drained rice to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes. Take the fried rice in a deep bowl.

Add extra finely chopped onion, tomato paste, pepper paste, 3 cloves of grated garlic, pomegranate molasses, chopped mint, chopped fresh parsley, 3 tbsp sunflower oil, 2 tbsp olive oil, some sugar, salt, and filling seasonings to the rice.

Mix them well. The filling should look shiny because of its oil, but add more olive oil if it still has a dry and mat appearance. Keep the filling aside. Lay 5 grape leaves on the bottom of a deep and large pot.

Keep the pot aside. If your leaves have stems, cut them gently with a knife. Lay a leaf on a flat surface. Put a small amount of filling on it.

Tip: Be sure not to add too much filling to the leaves. Remember that the rice will swell during cooking. If you put too much filling, they will get stuck in the leaf and will not cook evenly. In this case, you can end up with raw rice.

Wrap the right side of the leaf first, then the left side, after folding it over the filling. (Just like in the image below)

The longer and thinner you spread the filler over the leaf, the thinner and longer your stuffed grape leaves will appear. Then, wrap it up.

Tip: Avoid covering it too tightly or loosely when wrapping. If you wrap it too loosely, the leaves will open during cooking and the filling will fall apart. If you cover it too tightly, the rice won’t be able to fit into the leaves when they start to swell.

When you get 10 Turkish dolmas, bring them together, wrap them around with a few turns of sewing thread without tightening too much, and put them in the pot. Keep wrapping until the leaves are gone, when there are 10, surround them with a sewing thread, and put the pot.

You will have made 5 groups in packs of 10. Put all the Dolma packs in the pot. Then add 1 tsp of tomato paste into 1/4 cup of water and mix. Pour the tomato paste water over the Dolmas.

Slice 3 garlic cloves thickly and place them randomly in the pot. Turn on the stove and when the tomato paste water starts to boil, continue cooking on the lowest heat with the lid closed.

Cook on low heat for 45 minutes – 1 hr. Check the meal often. When the water at the bottom of the Dolmas evaporates and disappears, add a little water (you don’t need to add tomato paste to the water each time).

Recommendation: At the end of 45 minutes, take 1 Dolma from the pot and taste it. If the rice and leaves are fully cooked, everything is easily chewable, so the meal is well cooked.

Heat 5 tbsp sunflower oil in a small saucepan, add dried mint, fry for a few seconds, and drizzle the mint oil over the cooked Dolmas.

Close the lid of the pot immediately. Turn off the stove and keep the pot’s lid closed for 1 hour.

They’ll be ready after 1 hour of waiting time. Serve with Greek yogurt for the best presentation. The stuffed grape leaves recipe will be worth all the preparation, and you’ll thank us later.