Roll loosely instead of tight
The uncooked rice needs room to swell. The sides should be closed, but the leaf must not squeeze the filling tightly.
Greek Recipe
Dolmadakia yalantzi
The rice and herb filling is only briefly sweated and then cooked in tightly rolled vine leaves. A plate holds the rolls together in the pot while they slowly absorb lemon water.
Total time
2 hr 10 min
Calories
310 kcal
Servings
8 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Stuffed vine leaves with rice and fresh herbs
Yalantzi is the meatless version of the stuffed vine leaves. The small rolls are placed tightly in the pot and gently cooked until the rice is soft and the vine leaves are tender. A loose filling is particularly important, because rice expands during cooking and can burst into tightly rolled leaves.
Mediterranean Cuisine
Vegetarian Dinners
Lunch
Greek Recipes
Recipe
Dolmadakia yalantzi
Dolmadakia yalantzi are tender vine leaves with a meatless filling of round grain rice, onions, dill, mint, parsley, lemon and olive oil.
Ingredients
8 servings
Method
-
1
Preparing vine leaves
Carefully separate the pickled vine leaves, rinse thoroughly and leave to stand in hot water for 3 minutes. Drain, cut off thick stalks and set aside damaged leaves for the bottom of the pot.
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2
Sweat the filling
Heat 60 ml olive oil. Sauté onions and spring onions for 6 minutes until soft. Add rice and pine nuts, stir for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
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3
Mix in the herbs
Stir dill, parsley, mint, lemon grated, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt and pepper into the rice and let the filling cool for 10 minutes.
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4
Roll grape leaves
Line one sheet with the matte side facing up. Place a small teaspoon of filling above the base of the stem, fold in the lower sides and roll loosely up to the tip.
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5
Line pot tightly
Cover the bottom of the pot with damaged leaves. Layer Dolmadakia tightly in circles with the seam facing down. Pour in the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, hot water and 1 / 2 tsp salt.
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6
Weigh and cook
Place a heat-resistant plate directly on the rolls. Bring to the boil covered, then cook over a low heat for 40 to 45 minutes. Leave to cool in the stock for at least 30 minutes and serve lukewarm or cold.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Dolmadakia yalantzi
Weigh down with a plate
The plate prevents the dolmadakia from floating and opening in the boiling stock. It must be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pot.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Add two tablespoons of currants to the filling, together with the pine nuts. Their slight sweetness goes well with mint and lemon.
For dolmades with meat add 250 g minced lamb or beef to the onion base and fry until crumbly. Reduce rice to 180 g and serve the rolls hot.
Nutrition per serving
310kcal
39.0 gCarbohydrates
5.0 gProtein
15.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Dolmadakia yalantzi
Yalantzi refers to the meatless filling of rice, onions, herbs, olive oil and lemon.
They should be rinsed at least thoroughly and soaked briefly in hot water, which will lose excess brine and make them smoother.
They were usually rolled too tightly or cooked too hard. Rice needs room to swell and the rolls should only simmer gently under a plate.
Yes. They taste particularly aromatic after a few hours in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature before serving and drizzle with a little olive oil.
They stay fresh for about three days, well covered and chilled. Cooled quickly after cooking because of the rice filling and do not leave at room temperature for long.
Keep cooking