Κουπέπια με κληματόφυλλα (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). © Μουσείο Κυπριακών Τροφίμων και Διατροφής.
Stuffed vine leaves are the most popular type of dolma in Cyprus. Chards can be used instead of vine leaves.
Name - Recipe
Ντολμαδάκια με αμπελόφυλλα.
Vine leaves
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 kg minced meat
1/3 glass of oil
1 cup of grated ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup of glacé rice (soup rice)
Fresh parsley finely chopped
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Salt, pepper, cinnamon, spearmint
Tomato paste
Olive oil
Wash the vine leaves and soak them in warm water. In a saucepan, lightly fry the onion in a little oil and add the minced meat. Add the tomatoes and keep cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining ingredients (rice, salt, pepper, cinnamon, spearmint, half of the lemon juice and parsley) and stir. Remove the vine leaves from the water and drain them with the fibres side facing upwards. Add 1 teaspoon of the minced meat mixture on each one and roll the leaf up tightly to prevent the ends from opening during cooking (wrap each one like a package folding the sides first). Arrange the vine leaves in a pot in which you have spread a few vine leaves at the bottom. Add some tomato paste on top, a little olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice, a little water and place a plate upside down over them. Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.
Sautéing.
Cooking in a pot.
Chards can be used instead of vine leaves.
See also stuffed zucchini flowers recipe in the RECIPES section.
See also stuffed vegetables recipe in the RECIPES section.
See also stuffed vine leaves with mushrooms in the RECIPES section.
Functional and symbolic role
Stuffed vine leaves (koupepia) are still made to this day at home and served in most traditional restaurants.
Stuffed vine leaves (koupepia) was an important dish at the festive tables of Christmas, Easter, weddings and other celebrations.
Additional information and bibliography
Sometimes the stuffed vine leaves are combined with kolokasi (taro) and pieces of pork and cooked all together in a pot. (Ministry of Agriculture 2006).
In Tsakkistra and in other mountain villages, koupepia were made with vine leaves, while in the plains chards were used (Kyprianou 1974, 298).
Kyprianou, Chr. S. (1974). " Food from the village of Tsakkistra in Cyprus", Λαογραφία, KΘ΄(XXIX).
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2006). Traditional Cypriot preparations, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Varvara Giangou, Dimitra Demetriou, Marina Constantinou, Stalo Lazarou
Τρόπος τυλίγματος κουπεπιών. 2010. Πηγή: Δήμητρα Δημητρίου.
Κιμάς για τη παρασκευή κουπεπιών. 2010. Πηγή: Δήμητρα Δημητρίου.
Ψημένα κουπέπια στη κατσαρόλα. 2010. Πηγή: Δήμητρα Δημητρίου.
Παραδοσιακά κουπέπια με φύλλα αμπελιού και λαχανόφυλλα κατά την τοποθέτησή τους για ψήσιμο, Ξυλοτύμπου 2014. Πηγή: Χαράλαμπος Παρασκευά.
Κουπέπια. 2014. Πηγή: Αιμιλία Παπαπαύλου.
Κληματόφυλλα (φύλλα αμπελιού). Πηγή: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_californica
Γέμιση για κουπέπια (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Πριν το ψήσιμο, στα κουπέπια προστίθεται ελαιόλαδο (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Ψημένα και σερβιρισμένα κουπέπια.
Foods
Arkolahanon - sea beet
A wild green, the leaves and stems of which are cooked with various legumes or stews. Collected from January to April.
Traditional Recipes
Kolokasi (taro root) with koupepia
In this dish, kolokasi is combined with koupepia (stuffed vine leaves). After the kolokasi is sautéd, the koupepia are placed on top and cooked together in tomato sauce.
Traditional Recipes
Peas with koupepia and artichokes
A yahni dish with peas, artichokes, carrots and koupepia - stuffed vine leaves cooked in tomato sauce.
Traditional Recipes
Pombári (or Poumbári)
The mixture for the pombari filling consists of rice, minced meat, parsley and onion.
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed onions
Stuffed onions are prepared using the same minced meat and rice-based mixture as in stuffed vine leaves.
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed vegetables - Gemistá
Many vegetables can be used for this dish: zucchini, bell peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, onions and eggplants are carefully emptied, stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and rice, and baked in the…
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed vine leaves with mushrooms (vegan) - Koupepia korniotika
A vegan recipe from Kornos village. Chards can be used instead of vine leaves.
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed zucchini flowers
In this recipe, the same mixture of minced meat and rice as in the traditional koupepia is used as a stuffing of zucchini flowers. A favourite version of Cypriot stuffed vegetables.
Traditional Recipes
Stuffed zucchini flowers (vegetarian)
Vegetarian variant of Cypriot stuffed vine leaves. The filling of the flowers is based on rice or a combination of rice and bulgur wheat.
Traditional Recipes
Vegetarian koupepia - stuffed vine leaves
A variety of vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, tomatoes and onions or even mushrooms are mixed with rice to form the stuffing of vine leaves. A vegetarian dish suitable for fasting.
Traditional Recipes
Vine leaves stuffed with artichokes
A vegetarian, fasting dish. “For the filling, finely chop the artichokes and onion and sauté them briefly in olive oil. Remove from the heat and add the rice and tomatoes”. (Theognosia Andreou,…