Dolma (stuffed Grape Leaves)

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 (16 ounce) jar grape leaves (or other vine leaves)
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 onions, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon mint
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• lemon wedge

Recipe

• 1 sauté onions in olive oil in pan, add rice and add hot water to cover.
• 2 cover and simmer until rice is half cooked, about 10 minutes.
• 3 turn off heat, add tomato paste, currants, nuts, and spices. let mixture cool.
• 4 to prep the grape leaves, rinse in warm water and remove the stems.
• 5 when rice mixture is cool, place 1 teaspoon or less in center of leaf, fold in right and left sides, then roll the leaf until you have a tiny 'cigar'.
• 6 place the dolma in a steamer pot.
• 7 repeat until all grape leaves and/or stuffing is finished.
• 8 add water to steamer cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the rice inside the dolma is totally cooked.
• 9 traditionally this is served cold.
• 10 squeeze lemon over the dolma immediately before serving.