My Greek Traditional Cook Book 1 by Anna Othitis

Be careful not to leave any gaps between the dolmades to prevent them from cracking open when cooking. Place the stuffed vine leaves (fold side down) on the bottom of the pot and top in snugly layers. Be careful not to overfill the dolmades, as the rice will expand during cooking. Fold the lower section of the leaf over the filling towards the center bring the two sides in towards the center and roll them up tightly. Place one vine leaf (shiny side down) on a flat surface and add 1 tsp of the filling at the bottom end (stem). (This is probably the most difficult part of the traditional dolmades recipe). Layer the bottom of a large pot with some vine leaves (use the ones that are little bit torn) and start rolling the dolmades.This will be the filling for the dolmades. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the herbs, remove from the stove and set aside to cool down for a while. Pour in 2 cups of warm water and half lemon juice and simmer for about 7 minutes, until the rice absorbs all the water and is parboiled. Add the rice and sauté for 1 more minute. Sauté the onions, until translucent (but not coloured).

Prepare the filling for the stuffed vine/ grape leaves (dolmades). Place the rice in a colander and rinse with running water. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add 1/3 of the olive oil and the chopped onions.

Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander to cool down completely. If using fresh vine leaves, wash them thoroughly, remove the stems and blanch them in boiling hot water. If you use the ones in jar, rinse the vine leaves, remove the stems and leave them in a colander to drain. For this dolmades recipe, you can either use vine leaves sold in jars or fresh (if you are lucky enough to find them).

To make this traditional Greek dolmades recipe (stuffed vine/ grape leaves), start by preparing the vine leaves.

My Greek Traditional Cook Book 1 by Anna Othitis