Dolmadakia

Do you know what dolmadakia is? It’s a traditional Greek stuffed dish made of vine or cabbage and stuffed with a tasty mixture of rice and vegetables. There are different varieties of this recipe. Look below for mine.

Preparation time: 90 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel, cleaned and diced
1 tsp grated lemon peel
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup half-cooked brown rice
1 ½ cup chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper
3-4 bunches of greens, washed and strained
2 lemons – juice

Instructions:
1. For stuffing, put onion, fennel, and lemon peel in a pan, previously coated with 1/4 cup of olive oil, and simmer at moderate temperature for about 10 minutes, until onion softens. Then add pine nuts and brown rice, and simmer for 2 more minutes. Pour ½ cup chicken broth, and lower the temperature. Simmer until liquid evaporates and rice softens, for about 10 minutes. Pour the resulting mixture of rice into a bowl, add dill and parsley leaves, and season with salt and black pepper. Leave to cool down.
2. Arrange cabbage leaves on the counter. Spread 2 tbsp of rice mixture at the end of every leaf. Fold the leaf over stuffing, and roll.
3. Arrange rolls thickly in a pot, next to each other. Cover them with the remaining broth, olive oil, and lemon juice. The liquid should be at ⅓ of pot volume, so add more water if needed. Cover with a lid and cook at moderate temperature for 30 minutes, until rolls soften.
4. Serve and enjoy.