Skip to main content
Main

Dolmadakia

Dolmadakia are grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, herbs, and nuts, then simmered in broth and tomato juice.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 16 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Dill and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 104 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Dolmadakia

Time35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the filling

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan.

  2. Add onion and cook over low heat until onion is soft but not brown.

  3. Remove from heat.

  4. Stir in rice, meat, nuts, herbs, 1/4 cup lemon juice, salt and pepper.

  5. Rinse grape leaves to remove brine.

  6. Drain thoroughly.

Roll the leaves

  1. Place leaves, shiny side down and veins up, on work area.

  2. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of rice mixture in center of each leaf.

  3. Starting at stem end, fold in bottom part of leaf.

  4. Fold sides in; then roll tightly toward point.

Cook

  1. Place parsley stalks (or rack) in bottom of Dutch oven or large skillet.

  2. Arrange Dolmadakia snugly on top.

  3. Make second layer.

  4. Sprinkle with remaining oil and lemon juice.

  5. Add broth and tomato juice.

  6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 35 to 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1508Calories
100 gProtein
89 gFat
80 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 18 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Lamb100g cooked294
Beef100g cooked250
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Pine1 oz (28g)191
Chicken100g cooked165
Cashew1 oz (28g / ~18 nuts)157
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Walnut1 walnut half (4g)26
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Olive1 large (4g)4
Dill5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried4
Mint2 tbsp fresh (3g)2
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
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. Dill + oreganotop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together104 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Pine + oreganotop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together56 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

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

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  4. Pine + dilltop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together43 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  5. Olive + oreganotop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,443 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

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 as the rolls simmer.
Lamb, beef, or chicken
Adds savory richness and body to the filling.
Olive oil
Adds fat for flavor and helps keep the filling moist.
Lemon juice
Adds acidity that brightens the filling and balances the rich meat.
Grapevine leaves
Wrap the filling, holding it together while it steams and simmers.
Beef broth
Supplies savory liquid that cooks the rice and flavors the rolls.

The step that matters

Rolling the leaves tightly. Loose rolls can unravel and let filling escape during simmering. Tight folds keep the rice and meat enclosed while the rice cooks and absorbs the liquid.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, rice, lamb, pine, dill, mint, oregano):

  1. Eggplantfits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Cucumberfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, rice, lamb, pine, dill, mint, oregano. 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.

You might also like

Tomato SoupTomato Soup526 recipesLemon SauceLemon Sauce236 recipesRoast BeefRoast Beef211 recipesBeef LoafBeef Loaf175 recipes