This is a basic recipe for vegetarian stuffed grape leaves with short-grain rice and lots of herbs. See the notes above for details on making your dolmades.
1 1/2cupsshort- or medium-grain rice, such as sushi or arborio
2shallots, minced
2garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoonsminced fresh parsley
2tablespoonsminced fresh mint
2tablespoonsminced fresh chives
1/2teaspoonground allspice
1/2teaspoonground coriander
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
3tablespoonsdried tart berries(optional)
Salt and black pepper
2/3cupolive oil
1teaspoonsugar
2lemons, zest grated and juiced
Instructions
Pour boiling water over the rice and stir well until the water is milky. Drain the rice and rinse it well. Add the shallots, garlic, parsley, mint, chives, allspice, coriander, cinnamon and the berries, if you are using them. If you are zesting the lemons, add the grated zest, too. Mix well and set in a bowl.
Line a shallow pot with grape leaves; this prevents the stuffed grape leaves from sticking to the pot. Stuff the grape leaves as described above, tucking them in snugly into the pot. If you have gaps, it's nice to put in a garlic clove, which adds some flavor, and is tasty once cooked.
Once you have all the grape leaves in the pot -- and it is perfectly OK to add them in layers -- dissolve enough salt into 2 cups of water to make it salty, about a tablespoon, and then dissolve the sugar in the water. Pour this over the stuffed grape leaves. Then pour over the olive oil and the lemon juice.
Set a plate over the dolmades so they don't unravel during cooking. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook this way for 50 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait at least 20 minutes before eating. If you want, spoon some pickled berries over your stuffed grape leaves when you serve them.