DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Dawali
Also known as: دوالي, ورق دوالي
Palestinian grape leaves filled with rice and spiced minced lamb.

About Dawali
Wafa Shami’s warak dawali is a Palestinian celebratory preparation of grape leaves filled with rice and meat. This profile selects her traditional minced-lamb and fresh-leaf options, with Egyptian short-grain rice.
Allspice and the narrative’s nutmeg season the filling, while olive oil and lemon give the rolls their rich, tangy character. Plain yogurt is the selected accompaniment from the serving alternatives.
The leaves form compact rolls around the expanding rice filling. Optional tomato and lamb chops can accompany the layered pot, with pomegranate seeds offered as decoration.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Milk.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Dawali
Wafa Shami’s Palestinian fresh-leaf minced-lamb warak dawali.
- Fresh grape leavesBase
- Egyptian short-grain riceFilling
- Minced lambFilling
- AllspiceSeasoning
- NutmegSeasoning
- Sea saltSeasoning
- Olive oilCooking medium
- Fresh lemon juiceLiquid
- WaterLiquid
- Pomegranate seedsGarnish · Optional garnish · OptionalIngredient page not linked
- Sliced tomatoBase · Optional layers · Optional
- Lamb chopsProtein · Optional layers · Optional
- Plain yogurtAccompaniment
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Fresh grape leaves: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Fresh option selected; explicit blanching rather than jar brine treatment.
- Egyptian short-grain rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Broader short-grain rice identity; explicit Egyptian choice rather than Calrose.
- Minced lamb: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Broader lamb mapping; traditional finely minced rather than mechanically ground option.
- Allspice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Nutmeg: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Narrative50 explicitly names it; card omits separate row, preserved with that gap.
- Sea salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Source narrative sea salt; filling/cooking and optional chops seasoning consolidated.
- Olive oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Filling/cooking allocations consolidated; selected over neutral oil.
- Fresh lemon juice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit rice/leaf washing, fresh blanching and cooking water consolidated.
- Pomegranate seeds (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Narrative decorative garnish; not required recipe-card ingredient.
- Sliced tomato (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Narrative optional under/over-leaf layers.
- Lamb chops (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Source common optional bottom layer; broader lamb candidate.
- Plain yogurt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Milk source-confirmed. Selected from plain yogurt/cucumber yogurt salad/other salad.
Origins & food traditions
Cuisines & regions
- Palestinian Cuisine
- Palestinian CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Druze CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.