Tomato and Mint Dolma (Cypriot Yaprak Sarma)

In my many years of eating stuffed vine leaves, this Cypriot version has become a favourite. Don’t be put off by the task of stuffing and rolling: the trick is not to overfill the leaves, but roll them tightly and approach each one with utter confidence. You can find brined vine leaves in just about any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean store.

Dolma:
Turkish baldo or basmati rice (200 g)
1 small white onion, grated
1 can plum tomatoes, finely chopped (270 g)
1 Tbsp. tomato purée
1 Tbsp. dried mint
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. mint leaves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 jar brined vine leaves
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Broth:
1 Tbsp. tomato purée
cold water (240 mL)
full-fat natural yoghurt, to serve

Place all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl with 1¼ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. black pepper. Mix well.

Place 35 vine leaves in a large saucepan filled with just-boiled water. Simmer for five minutes over a medium heat, then refresh under cold water.

Lay a vine leaf on a plate with the vein side up (snap off any stalks) and smooth it out. Then depending on the size of the leaf, place 1½ to 3 tsp. of the filling at the base and mould it into a rectangle, horizontal to you. Firmly roll the vine leaf around the stuffing, tucking the sides inwards as you do to ensure it is sealed at both ends. The juice will run out as you squeeze them, but that doesn’t matter. Just collect it in a cup and add it to the cooking pan later.

Place the dolma in a large, shallow saucepan and continue stuffing the leaves until all the filling has been used up. Don’t worry if your dolma aren’t a uniform shape - they will plump up after cooking and even out.

Once all the stuffed leaves are in the pan, mix the tomato purée and measured water and pour it over the dolma. Drizzle two Tbsp. of olive oil, then place a dinner plate on top of the leaves to cover and press down.

Place the lid on the saucepan and set it over a medium heat for a few minutes until the water comes to the boil (lift the plate to check underneath). Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Check a dolma to see if the rice is cooked. If the rice is still a little firm, add another 100 mL or so of water, cover and leave for a further 10 minutes. If there is still broth in the pan, the dolma will soak it up as they cool.

Once ready, leave to cool to room temperature and serve with thick natural yoghurt.

Serves 6 as part of a mezze.