Instant Pot Grape Leaf Dolma Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Grape Leaf Dolma Recipe
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 110 fresh grape leaves; 2 cups Jasmine rice; 1 medium onion ((minced)); 4 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1 cup fresh dill ((chopped)); 1 cup Italian parsley ((chopped)); 1 Tbsp salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 1 Tbsp paprika; 2 tsp allspice; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper; 3 ounces tomato paste; 1 lb beef or lamb ( (finely chopped)); ½ cup olive oil; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 2½ cups water; 3 ounces tomato paste; 1 Tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp citric acid; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper; ¼ tsp black pepper; 2 Tbsp olive oil; ¼ cup onion ((minced)); 3 ounces tomato paste; 2 Tbsp paprika; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp cayenne pepper; 1 cup water; 2 cups plain yogurt

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Let this Assyrian girl show you what Dolma is supposed to taste like with this easy Instant Pot Dolma recipe! You'll want to serve the Dolma with lots of Homemade Pita Bread to sop up the yummy sauce.

Have you ever tried stuffed grape leaves? They are a staple in the Mediterranean including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, and Greece.

Grape Leaf Dolma has never tasted better! Stuffed grape leaves, smothered in a garlic and dill yogurt sauce, then drizzled with a spicy tomato sauce. Preparing my mom's dolma recipe in an Instant Pot comes out perfect every single time.

Why This Recipe Works

Grape Leaf Dolma is one of those dishes that is prepared in a variety of ways based on the region in which it's prepared. Greeks drench their Dolmadakia in olive oil and lemon juice, while the Turks cook their dolma in broth or water.

What I love about this Iraqi Dolma recipe, however, is that not only is there tomato paste in the filling but the cooking liquid as well. This adds yet another layer of flavor, and there is SO much flavor already!

The meat and rice filling is highly seasoned with a wonderful combination of herbs and spices, including allspice, paprika, fresh dill, parsley, and lots of garlic!

But perhaps my favorite thing about this Dolma recipe is that it's prepared in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. This means that it needs less time to cook and the dolma comes out flawless, even if you get the dreaded burn error. More about that later!

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Grape Leaves — Many dolma recipes call for Jarred Grape Leaves. Although I haven't tried all the brands, the ones I have tried have been too tough. I prefer using fresh leaves from the vine or leaves that I've brined or frozen, myself. If you want to pickle your own grape leaves, here's how to do it, Pickling Grape Leaves.
Citric Acid — Citric Acid is used to give the dolma its tangy flavor. If you don't want to purchase citric acid, you can use a few tablespoons of lemon juice instead.
Fresh Dill — There's nothing like harvesting fresh dill from your garden. But dill goes to seed rather quickly. Harvest and freeze the dill until needed.
Cayenne Pepper — If you know me at all, you know I like my food on the spicy side. Although I'm only using a small amount of cayenne pepper in this recipe, you may choose to leave it out.
Meat — Beef Stew meat can be used in the filling, or my personal favorite, lamb.

How to Make Instant Pot Iraqi Dolma

Dolma/Filling

STEP 1: Use the larger and thicker leaves to line the bottom of the Instant Pot. This helps to prevent the dolma from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. These leaves don't need to be blanched.

STEP 2: Boil a pot of water, while you prepare the grape leaves by washing them thoroughly. Stack leaves in groups of 10. Using tongs, dip one stack of grape leaves at a time into boiling water and flip when their color begins to change from bright green to olive. This can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes. Drape the leaves over the edge of a colander to drain. Repeat with the remaining leaves until all the leaves have been blanched.

STEP 3: Wash and rinse rice and add to a large bowl. Add chopped onion, garlic, dill, and parsley. Top with tomato paste, and spices. Mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure there are no clumps of tomato paste left.

STEP 4: Add meat, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix rice mixture until the ingredients are incorporated.

STEP 5: Lay grape leaves on a flat surface with the spines facing up and smooth side down. Add approximately one tablespoon of filling to the center of each leaf. Fold the sides over the filling and roll the leaf from the bottom up.

STEP 6: Add the dolma seam-side down into the Instant Pot bowl in rows. Do not overcrowd, as the rice will expand as it cooks. Sprinkle each row with dillweed (optional).

Iraqi dolma recipe rolled with more filling in a bowl

Prepare Dolma Cooking Sauce

STEP 1: Whisk the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

STEP 2: Pour the sauce carefully over the dolma. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set the vent to Seal. Select High Pressure and set the cooking time to 20 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure. When the time is up, do a Natural Release for 15 minutes then release the remaining pressure if necessary.

Spicy Red Sauce

STEP 1: Heat oil in the same saucepan used to make the dolma sauce. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle with paprika, cayenne, and continue to stir until combined. Cook for a few more minutes.

STEP 2: Finally, add the water and mix until smooth. Turn down the heat and simmer for an additional five to ten minutes.

Yogurt Sauce

While the dolma is cooking, mix the yogurt, garlic, dill, salt, and citric acid. Chill until ready to serve.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Serving Suggestions

Allow the stuffed grape leaves to rest for 15 minutes so that they don't fall apart when being served. Carefully add dolma to a plate. Cover with yogurt sauce and the spicy red sauce. Serve with Pita Bread on the side.

a plate of Iraqi dolma with yogurt and sauce over it

Can you Freeze Dolma?

Dolma is good for up to a week in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing the dolma. The texture of the rice is not the same after it has been frozen. It disintegrates and becomes mushy.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What country is Dolma from?

Dolma originated in the Middle East, however, it's hard to pin down who was the first to come up with the recipe.

Many cultures claim it as their own, which could explain why there are so many variations of the recipe. Each group gives dolma their own spin, making no two recipes alike. I might be biased, but in my opinion, nothing compares to Iraqi Dolma!

What do you eat with Dolma?

Dolma is pretty filling and contains all the food groups in one tasty dish. It is stuffed with rice, meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices.

However, if you really want to serve it with something, let it be bread, or more specifically, Pita Bread. Use the pita bread to make a dolma sandwich, you won't be the first to do that, I assure you. The pita bread can be torn in chunks and used to soak up the delectable juices.

Are Dolmades vegan?

Dolmades are vegan and usually contain rice, herbs, and spices. The Dolmades are cooked in a combination of boiling water, olive oil, and lemon juice, making them vegan-friendly.

If your pot comes to pressure and you get the "burn" error message, which seems to be an issue with some models, allow the dolma to cook for the same time suggested. The built-up pressure will still cook the dolma. Release the pressure 45 minutes from the time you started the Instant Pot.
If you're serving a large crowd or your family, place a flat platter over the Instant Pot bowl and quickly invert the bowl. This should dislodge all the dolma onto the platter. Then your family or guests can serve themselves, Iraqi style!
When rolling the dolma, I like to roll five at a time. I lay five leaves out first, then add the filling, and finally roll all five, then repeat. It seems to speed up the process.
If you want to make this a vegetarian recipe, replace the meat with an additional cup of rice. You can also add some minced mushrooms.

Other Instant Pot Recipes

You may be interested in these other Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi recipes:

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Instant Pot Grape Leaf Dolma Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredient Notes