This is a classic dish known as “dolma” or “sarma”, popular in many countries around the world. It is very delicious and nutritious, and also great for vegetarians and vegans if you replace the meat filling with a vegetable or mushroom one.

Ingredients:

• 30 grape leaves
• 500 grams of ground beef
• 125 grams of rice
• 2 small onions
• Dill to taste
• Parsley to taste
• Mint to taste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Take the largest grape leaves and use them to line the bottom of the pot in which you will be cooking this dish.
2. Rinse the leaves and place them in a pot of boiling water for five minutes. Then drain the water and remove any excess stems.
3. Mix together the ground beef, chopped herbs, chopped onions, rice, salt, and pepper.
4. Place one tablespoon of the filling on each grape leaf and roll it up like a cabbage roll. Repeat until all the grape leaves or filling are used up.
5. Place the rolled grape leaves tightly in the pot, seam-side down.
6. Pour hot water over the grape leaves and add a little olive oil. Cover the dish with a plate and simmer for 60-90 minutes on low heat, until the grape leaves are tender.
7. Serve hot or chilled with tzatziki or avgolemono sauce.

That before making dolma, the grape leaves should be rinsed in cold water to remove any dust and dirt. You can also add some chanterelles or other mushrooms to the filling to give the dish a deeper flavor.

I also recommend experimenting with sauces and seasonings to find the one that you and your guests will like the most. For example, you can serve dolma with a yogurt, garlic, and cucumber sauce mixed with fresh herbs, or a lemon, egg, and rice flour-based sauce.

I hope your dolma turns out tasty and appetizing!