Excerpted from Alexandra Stratou’s Cooking With Loula.
Kyria Loula always made our dolmadakia. They were tightly rolled, tiny, and tasty. Toward the final years of her life, when she had slowly withdrawn from her cooking responsibilities, she would sit patiently in her home and make them for my mother. Cooking gave Kyria Loula a raison d’être. It was the time she managed to give to others but also to herself. I believe being a good cook requires acceptance of one’s self, even if just for the time spent in the kitchen. Unconsciously or not, when cooking for others, every cook must view themselves as an integral part of a process, and accept their ability to contribute positively to the outcome.
Dolmadakia
Print RecipeIngredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, grated
- 2 cups (300 grams) uncooked white rice
- ½ cup (60 grams) pine nuts, toasted
- ½ cup (70 grams) golden raisins
- ½ cup finely chopped dill (about 1/2 bunch)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped mint (about 1/2 bunch)
- Salt and pepper
- 80 grape leaves
- 1 cup (200 grams) Greek yogurt
Instructions
Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion, and cook until soft and translucent.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the rice, pine nuts, golden raisins, and herbs.
Stir until everything is evenly dispersed.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Lay a grape leaf, smooth side down, on a cutting board and cut off any thick stems.
Put ½ tablespoon of filling at the base, fold over, tuck in the sides, then roll up all the way. (Avoid rolling too tightly, as the rice will expand while cooking.)
Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling.
Line the bottom of a large pot with grape leaves.
Add the dolmadakia to the pot in a single layer, fitting them snugly into the pot in a spiral.
Continue adding spiraling layers until all the dolmadakia have been added.
Season with salt, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cover with a plate.
Add water to the pot until the dolmadakia, but not the plate, are covered.
Partially cover the pan with a lid, and simmer over medium low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the dolmadakia from burning.
Check for doneness and remove from the heat when the rice is cooked and the water has mostly evaporated.
Serve on small plates with a dollop of yogurt on the side.
About the Book:
Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by Epicurious
In Cooking with Loula, Alexandra Stratou invites readers into her Greek family’s kitchen, revealing their annual traditions and bringing their recipes to life—with touching remembrances of Kyria Loula (Kyria means “Mrs.” in Greek), the woman who cooked for three generations of Stratou’s family and who taught her that the secret ingredient in any beloved dish is the spirit the cook brings with her to the kitchen.
Many classic dishes are represented here, such as pastitsio and dolmades, as well as inventive, unconventional creations such as a green salad with avocado, apple, and Dijon mustard and a spinach gnocchi in which feta cheese appears alongside Gorgonzola. The nearly 100 recipes are all hearty and unfussy, and organized the way real home cooks think, with chapters for simple, healthful weekday dishes; more languorous Sunday meals; and traditional holiday fare. With hundreds of mouthwatering photographs and whimsical illustrations, this book is truly a gem.
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