Stuffed Vine Leaves AKA Ntolmadakia

This recipe is dedicated to Elisabeth, our graphic designer-and our NTOLMAS. We love you as much as we love NTOLMADAKIA.

Ingredients:

• 400gr vine leaves, jarred or fresh (about 80 leaves)
• 350gr risotto rice
• 2 spring onions
• 2 regular onions
• 200gr of Vendema Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 40 gr finely chopped dill
• 3 lemons
• Salt
• Pepper

Do the magic:

For the leaves: soak them in boiling water for 2 minutes and transfer them to iced water.

For the filling: wash out the starch from your rice under running water, until the water that comes off is crystal clear. Put your rice in a bowl and pour the juice of a lemon over.

Put a pan on medium/high heat and drop everything in: sauté the onions in some Vendema Extra Virgin Olive Oil and throw your rice with just a cup of water. After the water disappears, mix over the dill, the salt and pepper to taste, as well as some more lemon juice, about half a lemon.

Prepare your pot: take 3-4 vine leaves and put them on the bottom, along with some slices of the lemon.

It’s time to fill your leaves: take a vine leaf, place it on your palm with the rough side facing you and put just a teaspoon of filling on its center. After that, fold its four sides tightly like an envelope, and put it face down on your pot. Fill the pot tightly. After you complete a full layer, top up with lemon slices and make another right on top.

When your leaves are finished, pour your olive oil in the pot, along with a cup of water and put your pot over medium to low heat. In order for everything to stay in place, put a small plate with some kind of weight on top(eg a small cup of water).

Everything has to be cooked really slow, for the next 3 hours, no hard boiling here.

When ready, serve with some fresh greek yogurt and enjoy!