How to Make Dolma: Turkish Stuffed Grape Leaves

The "Art of Wrapping" Essential to the Turkish Table

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Walk through an alley drifting with the scent of spices and you find a line in front of a small eatery. Inside the glass case, small cylinders wrapped in green grape leaves are lined up in neat rows. As beautiful as a jewelry box. This is dolma.

Dolma means "stuffed thing" in Turkish. It is the general name for dishes in which all kinds of vegetables, such as grape leaves, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant, are filled with rice and spices and simmered. The most famous and best loved of them is yaprak sarma, dolma wrapped in grape leaves.

Inside the bite-sized cigar-shaped roll is rice sauteed in olive oil and mixed with walnuts, pine nuts, dried currants (tiny dried grapes), mint, and dill. With plenty of lemon juice, it is eaten cold, the Turkish way.

In English, a search for "Dolma recipe" turns up a vast number of recipes. Turkish, Greek, and Armenian food bloggers compete to share the flavors of home.

This article explains how to reproduce Turkish-style yaprak sarma (cold dolma) in a home kitchen. From where to find grape leaves to tips on rolling, it is covered carefully.

Ingredients (serves 4, about 30 pieces)

Method (cooking time: about 95 minutes)

STEP 1. Prepare the grape leaves (10 min)

• Take the jarred grape leaves out and rinse them 2 to 3 times in cold water.
• If they are very salty, soak them in water for 10 minutes.
• Spread the leaves out flat one at a time and wipe both sides dry with paper towels.
• If the stem is tough, snip it off with scissors right at the base of the leaf.
• Set aside torn leaves and leaves that are too small to line the bottom of the pot.

STEP 2. Make the filling (15 min)

• Put half of the 80 ml olive oil (40 ml) in a frying pan and heat over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
• Add the chopped onion and saute for 5 minutes until translucent.
• Add the pine nuts and saute for 2 minutes until lightly golden.
• Add 200 g unwashed raw rice and saute for 2 minutes, until the surface of the grains turns translucent and blends with the oil.
• Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and coat everything.
• Add 100 ml water, 3 tbsp lemon juice, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and sugar.
• Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes until the liquid has mostly gone. It is fine if the rice is half-cooked, with a white core remaining at the center.
• Turn off the heat, add the dried currants, mint, and dill, and mix until the herbs are evenly distributed.
• Spread it out on a tray and cool for about 10 minutes to room temperature, until it no longer feels hot to the touch, before starting to roll.

STEP 3. Roll the dolma (20 min)

Once you get the knack, rolling dolma is easy. Treat the first 5 as practice.

• Spread a grape leaf with the back side (the side where the veins stand out) facing up.
• Put the part where the stem was toward you.
• Put about 2 tsp of filling at the base of the stem (never overfill).
• Roll once from the near edge.
• Fold the left and right edges of the leaf inward.
• Keep rolling in a cylinder to the tip.
• Roll not too tight, not too loose. The rice swells as it simmers, so leave about 1 cm, the width of one finger, of room.

STEP 4. Arrange in a pot and simmer (50 min)

• Lay 2 to 3 torn grape leaves on the bottom of a heavy pot (to prevent scorching).
• Arrange the rolled dolma seam side down, packed snugly with no gaps.
• When the first layer is full, stack a second. Up to 3 layers at most.
• Pour in 300 ml water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Turn a heatproof small plate upside down on top of the dolma as a weight.
• Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. The guide is leaves that have softened and rice that has plumped and springs back slightly when pressed with a finger.
• Turn off the heat and let cool completely with the lid on (at least 2 hours, ideally overnight).

STEP 5. Plating (5 min)

• Arrange the chilled dolma seam side down in concentric circles from the outside of the plate.
• Put lemon wedges at the edge of the plate.
• Drizzle lightly with olive oil, just enough to give the surface a thin sheen.
• If you like, put yogurt in a small bowl and set it alongside.

Culture and History: Ottoman Court Cooking

The origin of the culture of "stuffing"

The history of dolma is deeply rooted in the Ottoman Empire (1299 to 1922). The imperial court cooks perfected the technique of "stuffing" every ingredient: grape leaves, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, zucchini, quince, apples. Nothing, it seems, could not be stuffed.

From common people's wisdom to the king of meze

Meanwhile, the dolma of ordinary people was plainer. Using rice and herbs instead of meat and simmering in olive oil, it was a dish of wisdom that satisfies delicious and full without meat.

This vegetarian olive-oil dolma eventually became a staple of the Turkish "meze" (an assortment of appetizers). Today at any restaurant in Istanbul, dolma is on the meze plate.

In Turkish homes, dolma is especially a summer staple. "Zeytinyagli," simmered in olive oil and eaten cold, is a cool-looking appetizer that whets the appetite on a hot day. At lokantas (everyday eateries) in the back alleys of Istanbul, dozens of dolma line up in the glass case, and customers can order them one piece at a time.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

In 2017, the dolma-making tradition of Azerbaijan was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Dolma is not just a dish; it carries the history and pride of a region.

Regional Variations

Dolma is eaten across a wide area of the Middle East, the Caucasus, and the Balkans. That each country claims "our dolma is the real one" is proof of how loved it is. Names and fillings differ a little from place to place.

Turkey (the recipe in this article)

In Turkey there are two lines: the vegetarian cold dolma and the warm dolma with ground meat. The cold kind is called "zeytinyagli" (olive oil dolma) and is eaten as an appetizer. The warm kind is "etli dolma" (meat dolma), served as a main with a yogurt sauce.

Greece (dolmadakia)

In Greece it is called "dolmadakia." It is characterized by heavy use of dill and mint and eating it with avgolemono (an egg and lemon sauce). Along with moussaka (in Japanese), it is a representative Greek dish.

Armenia (tolma)

In Armenia, not only grape leaves but also cabbage leaves and quince are stuffed. The meat versions with beef or lamb are mainstream. Served with a yogurt and garlic sauce.

Iran (dolmeh)

Iranian dolmeh contains saffron and barberries (red berries), and has a yellowish tint. Besides grape leaves, versions stuffed into tomatoes and peppers are also popular.

Georgia

Georgian cuisine (in Japanese) also has a dolma tradition. "Tolma," grape leaves wrapped around ground beef and basil, is a standard appetizer alongside khinkali.

Nutrition and Healthy Points

Vegetarian dolma is one of the healthiest dishes in Middle Eastern cooking.

Nutrition per serving (about 8 pieces)

Grape leaves are rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, and iron. The vitamin K content in particular stands out. It is a nutrient important for maintaining bone health and for blood clotting.

Together with the unsaturated fats of olive oil, it comes close to the ideal nutritional balance of the Mediterranean diet: the combination of olive oil, vegetables, legumes, and grains.

It is also an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans. Without any animal foods, you can take in good fats, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber.

A Guide to Gathering the Ingredients

The biggest hurdle in making dolma is getting "grape leaves." All the other ingredients are available at an ordinary supermarket.

Where to find grape leaves

Side Dishes and Menus to Go with Dolma

Classic pairings

Sample menus

Meze party (a Turkish assortment of appetizers):

Dolma + hummus + falafel (in Japanese) + tabbouleh + pita bread + olives. It also goes superbly with Turkish raki (anise liquor) or white wine.

Middle Eastern dinner:

Dolma and hummus as appetizers. Kebab or shawarma as the main. Tabbouleh as a side. Baklava for dessert.

Storage and Reheating

Dolma is the king of make-ahead dishes. It is said to be even better the next day or later.

Refrigerated storage

Put it in an airtight container with its cooking liquid. It keeps 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Since eating it cold is the authentic way, no reheating is needed.

Frozen storage

Put it in a zip-top bag with its cooking liquid and it keeps 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. After thawing naturally, eat it as is, chilled.

More to Cook Together

• How to make kebab - You can keep cooking the same country's table.
• How to make kebab sauce - You can keep cooking the same country's table.
• How to make kofte - You can keep cooking the same country's table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions we hear most about dolma. See also the articles on mansaf and shakshuka.

Q1. Can I make it with fresh grape leaves?

Yes. Boil fresh grape leaves in salted water for 5 minutes before using. If you have a grapevine in your yard, choose young, tender leaves. Old leaves are tough and hard to roll.

Q2. The rolled dolma fall apart. Why?

The roll is too loose, or there is too much filling. Keep the filling to about 2 tsp and fold in the edges of the leaf firmly before rolling. Packing them with no gaps in the pot lets them support each other so they are less likely to come apart.

Q3. What if I want to make it with meat?

Add 150 g ground beef to the filling. Meat dolma is eaten warm, not cold. The classic is to pour a yogurt sauce (200 g yogurt + 1 clove garlic + salt) over it.

Q4. What can I use instead of pine nuts?

Walnuts are the closest substitute. Chop them coarsely. Cashews or almonds also work, but the flavor changes. It is still delicious without nuts.

Q5. Isn't that too much olive oil?

In Turkish dolma, olive oil is a seasoning. This amount produces the authentic flavor. If you use good extra virgin olive oil, it is even a plus for health. If you must cut it, you can go down to half, but the richness drops.

Variations

Meat dolma (etli dolma)

Add 150 g ground beef to the vegetarian filling. With meat, it is eaten warm. The classic is to pour on plenty of yogurt sauce (200 g yogurt, 1 clove grated garlic, a little salt). It becomes a hearty main dish.

Pepper dolma

If you cannot get grape leaves, you can hollow out peppers or bell peppers and stuff them with the filling. It is easy to make with peppers from an ordinary supermarket. Cut off the tops, remove the seeds, fill with the filling, and stand them in a pot to simmer. Simmered in tomato sauce, it is colorful.

Dolma salad

Chop 4 to 5 pieces of cold dolma and mix with tomato, cucumber, and sliced red onion. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice, and you have a dolma salad. It works as an appetizer or lunch.

Summary: Middle Eastern Wisdom Wrapped in a Bite

Dolma is a dish that condenses the wisdom of Middle Eastern food culture into a single grape leaf. Olive oil, lemon, herbs, spices, nuts: the blessings of the Mediterranean world are packed into this one bite.

When you make it for the first time, you may struggle with rolling. But after about 5 you will get the knack. Even if they look awkward, they taste the same. If anything, uneven handmade dolma have a warmth that suits home cooking. Take it on without pressure.

For Turkish people, dolma is mother's taste, grandmother's taste. Carefully wrapping simple ingredients, the effort holds affection for the people who will eat it. Making dolma is also a way of touching the heart of Middle Eastern home cooking. The time spent wrapping one by one may become a small comfort in a busy day. The moment you arrange the finished dolma on a large plate, you will notice a beauty like jewels that makes you want to take a photo.

Sources