Yaprak Sarma (or Dolma) is an authentic Turkish dish made from Grape Leaves Stuffed with aromatic rice, fresh Mediterranean herbs, and spices. It is the most popular dish in Turkey that is prepared especially for special occasions or guests. Same as my Biber Dolmasi |Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, you can serve these delicious bite-sized appetizers as a part of a mezze platter or warm as a main meal.
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The stuffed vine leaves dish is also very popular among the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. Depending on the region, the ingredients for the stuffing and the cooking techniques are slightly different. Some versions contain minced meat, while others are vegetarian.
The rice is used for both versions and can be replaced with cracked bulgur wheat. Some recipes don't pre-cook the rice filling, whereas others sauté the onions with the rice and spices.
Whatever the differences, the main focus is to achieve the best-stuffed grape leaves with a soft and delicious mixture.
In Turkey, traditionally the women in the house come together to make this dish, as the rolling part of it could be time-consuming. When you have a few friends/family members around the table, rolling up grape leaves is great fun, as well as all the talk and gossip that surrounds this activity is part of the culture.
As a little girl, I watched and helped my mom many times, when she was rolling dolmas with her neighbors or family. Such great memories!
Sarma vs Dolma
Sarma means "wrapped thing" in Turkish and is made by wrapping leaves (most common grape, cabbage, or chard leaves) around the filling. Wrapped dolma, specifically, is also known as "sarma".
Dolma means "stuffed thing" and is a general name for stuffed dishes from Ottoman cuisine that can be served warm or cold. Some types of dolma are made with whole vegetables (Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers - Biber Dolma), fruit, offal, or seafood (Stuffed Mussels - Midye Dolma).
Both dolma and sarma might be prepared with the same filling and they both are common in many cuisines throughout the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They both can be eaten warm or cold unless there is meat in the stuffing.
Why This Recipe Works?
- This vegan sarma dish is packed with mouth-watering Mediterranean flavors and an exotic blend of spices.
- You can serve them as a fun&unique party appetizer, as a snack, or as a main meal.
- They are freezer-friendly, you can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months!
- You can prepare the filling a couple of days in advance and keep it refrigerated until you need them.
- These homemade dolmas may take a little bit of time to roll but they are definitely worth it.
- You can turn it into a fun activity with your kids, family, or friends!
Ingredients and Substitutes
Best Grape Leaves For Yaprak Sarma
You can use either fresh grape leaves or preserved ones.
If you are able to find fresh leaves, I’d definitely suggest making the dolma this way. Although using the fresh leaves adds extra time and steps to the recipe, the flavor of dolmas is much fresher, which I prefer.
If you can get hold of fresh vine leaves, wash them and blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water to soften them and make them easier to roll.
It is much easier to find preserved grape leaves and you don't need to prepare them. The only thing you need to do is to rinse them well to remove the excess salt before stuffing them.
- Rice - Any short-grain rice would work with this recipe. Make sure you wash the rice under running cold water to get rid of the starch.
- Pine nuts - They are great for adding some texture and nutty flavor to dishes such as Biber Dolmasi | Turkish Stuffed Peppers, Rice Stuffed Chicken, or Vegan Moussaka without Béchamel. Omit them if you have nut allergies or you don't have them in hand.
- Onions - It adds great flavor to the rice stuffing. You can use finely diced brown, yellow or white onion. Shallots would work great as well.
- Currants - They are small dried raisins and a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. Although they are typically used for baked goods, it is common to use them in cooking Turkish Cuisine.
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon.
- Spices - Cinnamon, paprika, and black pepper are my favorite spices to use for rice stuffing but you can add your favorite spices and adjust the amount to your taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This homemade dolma recipe may take a little bit of time to roll but it is very easy to make them. To achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps and tips:
Prepare The Grape Leaves
When buying grape leaves, make sure that the leaves are flexible enough and don’t have very hard veins.
If using fresh grape leaves, wash them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling hot water for a couple of minutes, until they are softened and easy to fold.
Place them in a colander and let them cool down while you prepare the rice filling.
If using jarred grape leaves in brine, remove them from the jar and rinse well. Let them drain in a colander while you prepare the rice stuffing.
Prepare The Rice Stuffing
Rinse the rice under cold running water and then let it drain on a colander.
Place a pan on medium heat and add 3 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the pine nuts and sauté until they turn slightly brown.
Add the washed rice and black currants and sauté the rice until they are totally dry.
Stir in the tomato paste, salt, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, paprika, dried mint, sugar, 1 cup of water, and lemon juice, and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook until the water evaporates, take the pan off the heat then add the parsley along with the dill. Don't fully cook the rice as it will continue cooking with the grape leaves.
Stir the mixture and let it cool down for 10 minutes before stuffing the grape leaves.
Stuff And Roll The Grape Leaves
Start preparing your dutch oven or pan by layering it with broken/unused grape leaves. You can also use sliced tomatoes or potatoes to avoid the stuffed grape leaves from touching the bottom of the pot from burning.
Lay the leaf flat on a cutting board with the shiny side down. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice filling in the center of the leaf, close to where the stem was.
Fold the sides over the filling.
And roll, keep tucking the sides as you roll.
Roll them tightly enough but not too tight, leaving enough room for the rice to expand as they cook.
Arrange the stuffed grape leaves in rows neatly in your prepared dutch oven or pan. Place them seam-side down and cover the bottom of the pan without leaving any space. Layer a few slices of lemons on top of the arranged stuffed dolmas.
Dilute 1 teaspoon of tomato paste with 2 cups of water and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Pour it over dolmas, until it almost covers them. Bring it to a boil and gently simmer on low heat for an hour, or until the leaves are soft and the rice is fully cooked. Let the dolmas rest for 15 to 20 minutes before transferring them to a serving plate.
What To Serve With Yaprak Sarma?
You can serve these stuffed grape leaves as a part of a mezze selection along with Muhammara - Acuka (Red Pepper Dip), Lebanese Falafel Recipe, Cerkez Tavugu (Circassian Chicken), and Pacanga Boregi.
You can also serve yaprak sarma as a vegetarian main meal along with Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme) and Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).
Top Tips From the Chef
- To save some time, you can prepare the rice stuffing and the grape leaves a couple of days in advance and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Don't over-stuff the grape leaves as the rice filling will expand as it cooks. Roll the grape leaves securely, and fold in the corners carefully giving the rice filling some space to expand while cooking.
- Assemble the dolmas tightly on the bottom of your pan seam-side down.
- Don't let the water boil while cooking, let it simmer gently and cook it low and slow until it reached the desired softness.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to buy fresh grape leaves, you can buy them from farmers or vineyards if you have any around where you live. In Turkey, they are also available to buy in the markets during the spring/early summer.
If you want to buy preserved grape leaves in a jar, you can buy them from Turkish/Middle Eastern shops or you can buy them online.
You can store leftover stuffed wine leaves in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you have any leftover rice filling, you can either keep it in the fridge and cook it as a side dish the next day, freeze it for later use or stuff it in a large tomato or a courgette and add it to the pot with the stuffed leaves.
If you have any leftover grape leaves, you can keep them in the freezer for later use.
Although you can enjoy Yaprak Sarma or Dolma cold or at room temperature, you might want to eat it warm. To reheat dolmas, place them in a pan with a bit of water, cover, and heat over low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you can heat them up in a microwave for a few minutes until they reach the desired temperature.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Turkish recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Yaprak Sarma - Vegan Stuffed Grape Leaves as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
This recipe is featured in Twinkl Picnic in the Park Blog.
Yaprak Sarma - Stuffed Grape Leaves
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 g grape leaves (approx 60 - 70 leaves)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 onions (finely chopped)
- 50 g pine nuts
- 350 g short-grain rice
- 30 g black currants
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon salt (adjust it to your taste, use less or omit if your grape leaves are too salty)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped dill
- few lemon slices
For Cooking Sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the Grape Leaves
- If using fresh grape leaves, wash them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling hot water for a couple of minutes, until they are softened and easy to fold.
- Place them in a colander and let them cool down while you prepare the rice filling.
- If using jarred grape leaves in brine, remove them from the jar and rinse well.
- Let them drain in a colander while you prepare the rice stuffing.
Prepare the Rice Stuffing
- Rinse the rice under cold running water and then let it drain on a colander.
- Place a pan on medium heat and add 3 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add the pine nuts and sauté until they turn slightly brown before adding the washed rice and black currants.
- Sauté the rice until they are totally dry and then add the tomato paste, salt, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, paprika, dried mint, sugar, 1 cup of water, and lemon juice, mix well, and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook until the water evaporates, take the pan off the heat then add the parsley along with the dill. The rice shouldn't be fully cooked as it will continue cooking with the grape leaves.
- Stir the mixture and let it cool down for 10 minutes before stuffing the grape leaves.
Stuff and Roll the Grape Leaves
- Start preparing your dutch oven or cooking pot by layering it with broken/unused grape leaves. You can also use sliced tomatoes or potatoes to avoid the stuffed grape leaves touching the bottom of the pot from burning.
- Lay the leaf flat on a cutting board with the shiny side down. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice filling and place in the center of the leaf, close to where the stem was.
- Fold the sides over the filling and roll, keep tucking the sides as you roll. Roll them tightly enough but not too tight, leaving enough room for the rice to expand as it cooks. Check the pictures above for more details.
- Arrange the stuffed grape leaves in rows neatly in your prepared dutch oven or pot. Place them seam-side down and cover the bottom of the pot without leaving any space.
- Layer a few slices of lemons on top of the arranged stuffed dolmas.
- Dilute 1 teaspoon of tomato paste with 2 cups of water and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Pour it over dolmas, until they are almost covered.
- Bring it to a boil and gently simmer on low heat for an hour, or until the leaves are softened and the rice is fully cooked.
- Let the dolmas rest before transferring on a serving plate.
Notes
- To save some time, you can prepare the rice stuffing and the grape leaves a couple of days in advance and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Don't over-stuff the grape leaves as the rice filling will expand as it cooks. Roll the grape leaves securely, and fold in the corners carefully giving the rice filling some space to expand while cooking.
- Assemble the dolmas tightly on the bottom of your pan seam-side down.
- Don't let the water boil while cooking, let it simmer gently and cook it low and slow until it reached the desired softness.
- You can store leftover stuffed wine leaves in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Gemma
Great recipe for entertaining although it is a bit time consuming. I will definitely try for my next dinner party. Thank you for sharing!
Carley
It was so delicious, worth every effort and definitely will do it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Kanny
I followed the recipe exactly and the dolmas came out perfect! Thank you for sharing your recipe. The flavours are outstanding.
Selin
I just made these today, no doubt it is a bit time consuming as it says, but the end result that makes it worthwhile. They were awesome, came out tender, delicious, reminds me of when I used to have them growing up!
Mel
This was super delicious and my hubby loved it. That's a big win for us!! Thank you for sharing!
Abby
I made these for vegan family friends. So delicious. Highly recommend this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your incredible cooking skills with us.
Nisha
I was always scared to attempt this recipe but I finally gave in and did it and it turned out AMAZING!! Hubby says thanks
Kelly
These came out super delicious. The proportions are perfect. A very long process of rolling but fun with others at a special occasion.