Constantinople-style dolmadakia yalantzi! These small fasting bites with tender grape leaves and an irresistible flavor.
Dolmadakia yalantzi, meaning the ones without minced meat, containing only rice and herbs, are closely associated with fasting and are an excellent appetizer as well as a main dish, delicious and nutritious.
This rich and authentic flavor is the main reason to try making them, even though dolmadakia have the… reputation of being a troublesome and difficult dish.
May is the month when grape leaves are at their best for harvesting. They are tender, light in color, and not too large.
The secret to successful dolmadakia yalantzi is fresh herbs and plenty of onion. The onion in particular—of which we should not be stingy—ensures this sweet and deep flavor.
In the recipe I give you, you will notice that there is a large quantity of onion, but it has a “small peculiarity”: steaming. It is best not to skip this step—it will only take about 15–20 extra minutes in the preparation process.
Steaming with water removes the onion’s sharpness and its somewhat heavy smell and taste. Then the olive oil we add immediately afterward, without sautéing the mixture, softens and sweetens the dish, making the filling of the small dolma richer and silkier.
So steamed onion is the big secret to successful dolmadakia yalantzi.
Fresh herbs are the second “weapon.” Fresh mint helps digestion, while dill and chervil add aroma.
Ingredients for Dolmadakia Yalantzi
- 400 g (60–70) tender grape leaves, freshly picked or from a jar, already blanched
- 300 g long-grain rice
- 250 ml olive oil
- 10–12 spring onions with some of their green parts
- 4 medium dry onions
- 1 bunch dill
- 1 bunch mint
- ½ bunch chervil (optional)
- zest from half a lemon
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice and plenty of yogurt for serving
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Instructions
Finely chop the spring onions and the dry onions. If we want, we can chop half by hand and puree the other half in a food processor.
Usually, I follow the second method: I chop half by hand and puree the rest so that I have an onion pulp that incorporates better into the mixture.
Place all the onions in a large pan with half a liter of water and one teaspoon of salt and steam them over medium heat until the water evaporates. Make sure the onions do not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
When the water has evaporated, turn off the heat and add about 100 ml of olive oil, slightly less than half the total amount. Mix well. Add all the finely chopped herbs and the lemon zest.
Mix again. The mixture does not need to cook, which is why we turn off the heat once the water evaporates and then add all the remaining ingredients. Add salt lightly since we already added some earlier, and grind plenty of pepper.
Mix and let the filling rest for at least 20 minutes.
Take one grape leaf at a time and place it on a work surface with the dull side facing up, meaning the dull side will be rolled inside and the shinier side will remain outside.
Place a small amount of the rice mixture where the stem of the leaf was, about one teaspoon or a little more depending on the size of the leaf. Fold the right and left sides of the leaf inward and roll it into a small dolma.
Make sure the dolmadakia are not wrapped too tightly because the rice will expand during cooking and they may burst.
Arrange the dolmadakia in the pot.
Make a second and, if needed, a third layer.
If some leaves are very large, you can cut them lengthwise to make two pieces.
Once all the dolmadakia are rolled, add water equal to twice the amount of rice (600 ml) along with the remaining olive oil. Cover the dolmadakia with a plate, place the lid on the pot, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. A sign that the dish is ready is that the leaf is easily pierced and very tender, and that the food has absorbed the water and remains with its olive oil.
Remove the pot from the heat, let it rest for 10 minutes, and squeeze the juice of one lemon.
Gently shake the pot.
Serve the dolmadakia yalantzi warm or cold with rich full-fat yogurt.
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