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Lamb and wild rice dolmas recipe
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Stuffed Lamb Dolmas in Fermented Grape Leaves

Addictive lamb and rice filled grape leaf rolls inspired by a traditional recipe. Make about 50 rolls
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Greek
Keyword: Black walnuts, Dolmas, Grape leaves, Ground lamb
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 169kcal
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 Wide sauce pan or baking dish.

Ingredients

  • Lactofermented grape leaves or pickled grape leaves as needed, about 75
  • 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

Stuffing / Lamb and Rice Mixture

  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 1 cup natural wild rice or white rice.
  • ½ cup toasted chopped black walnuts or other nuts optional
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 2 large cloves fresh garlic grated
  • 1 large 8 oz yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sliced fresh mint or 1-2 teaspoons dried optional

Yogurt sauce (optional)

  • 1 cup Thick Greek yogurt
  • 1 large cloves garlic
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Fresh grated lemon zest, to taste

Instructions

Rice

  • Soak the wild rice in the stock for at least 3 hours, then drain, reserving the liquid. If you use white rice, soak it for 30 minutes and rinse until the water runs clean.

Stuff grape leaves

  • Mix the ground lamb and remaining stuffing ingredients, including the soaked rice. At this point prepare grape leaves, if they’re pickled aggressively, and very tart or salty, rinse them in water. Fresh grape leaves can be blanched in boiling water for 5 seconds.
  • Pat the grape leaves dry, then, working on a large worksurface, lay out the leaves, vein-side up. Put 1 tablespoon or so of the stuffing on the middle of each leaf, then fold in the sides, rolling the grape leaves into packages.

Cooking

  • Line a 12 inch or wider pan with a layer of grape leaves to prevent sticking, then arrange the grape leaves, seam-side down in the pan.
  • Add the remaining broth (1.5 cups) to the pan, cover with a plate on top then bring to a simmer and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, checking on it here and there to make sure the water is evaporating and being absorbed by the rice.
  • When the pan is nearly dry and the leaves are tender remove the lid, cover with a piece of parchment and allow to cool, then refrigerate. Enjoy at room temperature or warmed with the yogurt sauce or traditional avgolemono sauce.

Yogurt sauce (optional)

  • Mix all ingredients together, grating the garlic on a microplane grater or mashing it to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Double check the seasoning and adjust for salt, garlic, pepper, lemon zest and juice until it tastes good to you, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Notes

For a more traditional lamb dolma recipe, use white rice instead of wild rice.
Ground beef is not a traditional meat filling for dolmas. 

Nutrition

Serving: 3rolls | Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg