Dolma (dohl-mah) is the word used to describe any stuffed dish in Turkish cuisine, from stuffed artichokes to courgettes, peppers and onions. It usually refers to dishes that involve hollowing out vegetables for stuffing.
Fillings generally fall into meat-based (etli dolma) or vegetarian types where rice is the main ingredient, with both using a variety of herbs to add flavour. Yalancı ('yah-lahn-juh') dolma is the name of the vegetarian version of stuffed vine leaves (yalancı means 'liar' which is a playful reference to the lack of meat in the filling).
In Greece, stuffed vine leaves are known as dolmades, with Greek Cypriots calling them koupepia. However, they are all essentially describing the same thing with slight variations in recipes. You can usually spot a Cypriot home in London by the grapevines growing in their garden, as they like to pick the leaves fresh for making stuffed vine leaves.
The generous addition of lemon juice and dried mint to the filling of this yalancı dolma recipe adds a refreshing tangy edge. This is nicely balanced by the grated halloumi and a splash of olive oil which add creamy, rich and earthy tones. Double cream can also be added to the filling for a richer flavour, but is not used in this recipe.
Yalancı dolma can be enjoyed hot or cold and is traditionally served with a dollop of yoghurt as a main meal. It can also be served as a meze (starter) or side and is perfect as part of a summer barbecue.
Medium grain rice is used in this recipe so the dolma remain soft to eat when cold. You should avoid using long grain rice as it doesn't provide the right texture and goes hard when cold. This recipe provides guidance on both freshly picked vine leaves (if you have some in your garden) and store-bought preserved vine leaves if you don't.
Serves 4 to 6 | Preparation time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 55 minutes | Additional time: 10 minutes to rest after cooking
Ingredients
Vine leaf preparation | |
500g vine leaves (approx 80-120 leaves, depending on the size) | Hot water |
Filling | Final preparation |
600g medium grain white rice, washed well and strained | 1 (150g) medium Cyprus potato (or other waxy variety), peeled and cut into 0.5cm thick slices |
2 medium onions, finely chopped | 1 medium onion, sliced into half-moon shapes |
400g tinned chopped tomatoes | 50ml lemon juice, or as desired |
100g halloumi, finely grated | 50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra |
100ml extra virgin olive oil | 250ml hot water, plus extra |
125ml lemon juice, or as desired | 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube |
125ml cold water | 1 tbsp tomato paste |
1 tbsp tomato paste | |
2 tsp dried mint | |
¼ tsp ground cinnamon | |
¼ tsp ground black pepper | |
1 tsp salt, or as desired | |
Hob heat settings
Method
Vine leaf preparation - Fresh leaves:
Wash and place the leaves in a large bowl with enough hot water to cover. Lift the leaves gently with a spoon to ensure the hot water gets in between them. Leave for 5-10 minutes, or until softened and the leaves change to a green-brown colour. Drain the water and prepare the dolma as indicated below.
Vine leaf preparation - Store-bought preserved leaves:
Wash the leaves well with cold water to remove the preservatives and place in a large saucepan with enough hot water to cover the leaves. Lift the leaves gently with a spoon to ensure the hot water gets in between them. Place on a high heat and boil for 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Drain the water and prepare the dolma as indicated below.
Dolma preparation - Trimming the vine leaves:
As you are making each dolma, remove the stalks from the vine leaves if they are long. You can also cut any leaves that are very large in two by splitting vertically along the stem in the middle. A rough guide is to split any leaves that are larger than your hand - about 15cms. These split leaves require a little more skill to roll into a dolma due to their shape. Save 10 spare leaves that are torn or with holes, for use later.
Dolma preparation - Stuffing the vine leaves:
Prepare the filling by mixing all the listed filling ingredients together in a large bowl.
Lay out each prepared vine leaf flat, vein side-up, shiny side down. Place ½ - 2 tsp of filling (depending on the size of the leaf) just above the point of the leaf where the stem meets it.
Fold the leaf once from the bottom.
Then, fold the leaf from left and right to create a little envelope.
Finally, roll the leaf inwards, gripping the leaf tightly around the filling, so that it all tucks in well and there are no loose edges. It should hold itself well without unravelling.
Preparing the dolma for cooking:
Mix the stock cube with the tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil and hot water (see ‘final preparation’ ingredients). This will be used later.
Lightly oil the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil (we use a 24cm-wide saucepan). Lay out the sliced potato and onion across the bottom (see ‘final preparation’ ingredients). This prevents the dolma from burning and adds flavour.
Lay 3 to 5 spare vine leaves over the onions and potatoes.
Lay the prepared dolma across the bottom of the saucepan in rows. With each new layer, ensure that the dolma are laid out in the opposite direction to the layer below. Lay 3 to 5 more spare vine leaves on top to evenly cover.
Pour over the mixture you prepared earlier. Place a small plate on top to leave a 2cm gap around the edges - this prevents the dolma opening up while cooking. Then top up with enough hot water to cover the dolma by 1cm.
Cooking the dolma:
Place the saucepan on a high heat while loosely covered for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to lightly bubble constantly. Reduce to a medium heat and simmer for 45 minutes more, or until the rice is cooked inside the dolma.
Leave the cooked yalancı dolma loosely covered to settle for at least 10 minutes before serving - they will fall apart if you serve them sooner. Serve warm or cold with yoghurt on the side.
