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Zeytinyagli Yaprak Dolmasi

A Turkish dish of vine leaves stuffed with a rice and herb mixture cooked in olive oil.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Zeytinyagli Yaprak Dolmasi

Timeabout 1 hour

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the rice

  1. Cover the rice with warm water and let cool.

  2. Drain and wash the rice.

Make the filling

  1. In a saucepan, add chopped onions, pine nuts, 1 teaspoon salt, and olive oil. Brown the mixture over medium heat.

  2. Add the rice and stir for about 10 minutes.

  3. Add finely chopped tomato, extra salt, pepper, sugar, and 200 ml water. Mix well and simmer for 10–15 minutes until the water is absorbed.

  4. Add the spices and chopped herbs. Cover with paper towels and place the lid back on. Set aside for ½ hour. Mix well.

Roll and cook

  1. Place the vine leaves in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and remove the stems.

  2. Place one leaf at a time on a plate and put ½ tablespoon of the rice mixture near the bottom of the leaf. Fold the sides toward the center and roll the leaf up firmly.

  3. Continue the procedure, placing the dolmas in the bottom of a saucepan. Add lemon juice and 250 ml water. Weigh down the dolmas with a bread plate. Cover with a lid and cook on low for about 1 hour.

  4. Let cool and serve with slices of lemon.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

722Calories
12 gProtein
34 gFat
100 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Pine Nut1 oz (28g)191
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Grape1/2 cup (76g)62
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Allspice1 tsp ground (1.9g)5
Dill5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried4
Mint2 tbsp fresh (3g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Olive + pinetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,062 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Rice + olivetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,994 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

  4. Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,065 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  5. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,633 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Rice
Forms the bulk of the filling and absorbs liquid and oil as it cooks.
Olive oil
Adds fat and richness, carrying flavour through the filling and the cooking liquid.
Onions
Soften and brown in the oil, adding sweetness and savoury depth to the filling.
Vine leaves
Wrap the filling and hold its shape while the dolmas cook.
Pine nuts
Add a rich, toasted-tasting crunch to the filling.
Tomato
Adds moisture and acidity to the filling.

The step that matters

Rolling the leaves firmly. Loose rolls can unravel or open during cooking, and rice expands as it absorbs liquid. Firm, snug rolls with the sides folded in keep the filling enclosed and evenly cooked.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, onion, olive, tomato, pine, nuts, mint):

  1. Avocadofits better
  2. Limefits better
  3. Coconutfits better
  4. Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, onion, olive, tomato, pine, nuts, mint. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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