Dolmas

Yield: 4 servings.
Preparation is easy
Preparation time is 1 ½ hours

Ingredients

• 16 ounces vine leaves (500 grams)
• 6 small onions, finely chopped
• 12 ounces ground lamb (375 grams)
• 2/3 cup rice, soaked in boiling water and drained (4 ½ ounces)
• 1 dessertspoon fresh mint leaves, chopped (15 milliliters)
• 1 teaspoon parsley (5 milliliters)
• 1 teaspoon dill (5 milliliters)
• pinch of cinnamon
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 milliliters)
• 1 litre chicken stock (1 quart)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 cups plain yogurt (500 milliliters)
• 1 large bunch of mint, chiffonade

Directions

1. Carefully unfold the vine leaves and rinse them under cold water.
2. In a bowl, mix the ground lamb with the fresh mint, parsley, dill and cinnamon. Add the salt and pepper and olive oil. Mix well.
3. Place about one tablespoon of mixture in the middle of each leaf, rolling them up and tucking them in at the sides. Arrange any leftover leaves across the bottom of a saucepan and place the vine leaf packages tightly together in the pan. Cover them with more leftover leaves. Cover this with chicken stock and the juice of one lemon. Weigh the vine leaf packages down with a plate and bring the pan to a boil over a medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for an hour.
4. Drain and serve the leaves cold with yogurt sauce. To make the sauce mix the yogurt with chopped mint, salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice.