Making friends with food

Recipe | Dolmadakia Yalantzi (stuffed grape leaves with rice and raisins)

Ingredients:

250 g grape leaves (fresh or canned)

1 cup olive oil

1 big onion, chopped

100 g spring onions (chives), chopped

1 cup uncooked rice (Arborio rice, for risotto)

1 bunch of parsley, chopped

1 bunch of dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh mint

2 tbsp small black raisins (currants)

2 tbsp pine nuts

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Method:

Mix rice, chopped onions, chive, parsley, dill, mint, 1/2 cup of olive oil, currants, pine cone seeds, salt, pepper, a little sugar and half of the lemon juice.

Rinse the grape leaves in cold water. If fresh, drop them in boiling water and boil for three minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water. In the center of each leaf (shiny surface of leaf downward) place a heaped teaspoonful of the filling. Fold ends of leaf over the filling and roll up leaf.

Place Dolmadakia side by side in layers. Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil and 2 cups of hot water.

Place a plate over Dolmadakia to prevent them from opening, cover and boil over simmering heat for about 40 minutes.

Allow to cool in the saucepan. Serve them as a cold entree with yoghurt or as an appetizer.