Dolmades

• Appetizers

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 1½ c basmati rice
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ c currants
• ¼ c pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp dried mint
• 1 Tbsp dried dill
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 8 oz grape leaves
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and salt, and saute until tender. Add the rice, then hot water until it covers the rice. Put on a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, rinse the grape leaves in warm water, drain them, and remove the stems.
Turn off the heat and stir the rest of the ingredients into the rice.
Take a large pot and put an inverted plate on the bottom to keep the bottom layer of dolmas from burning. Put down a layer of empty grape leaves, as well. Fill with water just until it covers the plate.
Take each grape leaf, put it vein side up, and put about 2 teaspoons of filling onto it, just above where the stem attaches. Roll up the leaf from the bottom, then tuck in the sides, and roll the rest of the way up so it looks like a little package.
Put the dolma seam side down on the plate, and layer in the pot.
Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Check periodically to ensure there's enough water in the bottom of the pot.
Once cooked, remove the dolmas from the pot and dress with olive oil and a little lemon juice. They keep well in the fridge, but don't freeze them.