Stuffed Grape Leaves

 

Stuffed grape leaves are a traditional Mediterranean appetizer, found from Lebanon to Greece. Commonly stuffed with rice and ground meat like lamb or pork, the spices vary by region. This recipe features mellow flavors from onion and lemon juice, and pairs well with spiced Greek yogurt, cucumbers, tomatoes, and hummus.

Ingredients

 Soak the Grape Leaves: Soak the grape leaves in a large pot filled with boiling water and one tablespoon salt for five minutes. Remove from water and strain. Set aside. Note:If you use canned grape leaves, rinse them with hot water twice and then twice again in cold water in order to get all the vinegar out.

Cook the Onions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned.

Add Garlic and Pine Nuts: Add the garlic and pine nuts and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the Lamb: Raise heat to high, add the ground lamb and cook just until meat is browned. Add uncooked rice, and stir 1-2 minutes to combine. (The rice will cook when the grape leaves are steamed.)

Remove from Heat and Season: Remove from heat, add mint leaves, currants, and baharat. Season with salt and adjust seasoning according to taste.

Roll the Grape Leaves: Place a leaf, shiny side down (veiny side up) on a clean working space. Place about one teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf, fold in the sides of the leaf, and roll from the bottom to the top. Make sure to create a very tight roll.

Place Rolled Grape Leaves in Pot: Line a large pot with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the prepared leaves tightly on top of the tomatoes in concentric circles, leaving no gaps between them. Repeat with until you run out of grape leaves, or the pot is full. When you finish one layer, start a second layer. (There is no need to put another layer of tomatoes on.)

Add Garlic and Marinating Sauce: Evenly sprinkle the sliced garlic over the grape leaves. Mix together the marinating sauce ingredients and pour over the grape leaves.

Place a Plate Over the Leaves and Cook: Place a plate over the leaves, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or cold with cucumber yogurt (recipe below).

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh grape leaves

1 tablespoon salt

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

For the filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 pound ground lamb

1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain rice

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup dried currants (you can use dried cranberries if you can't find currants)

1/2 teaspoon Baharat (see recipe below for homemade version)

Salt to taste

For the marinating sauce:

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Baharat Spice mixture:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground black pepper


2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 


2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients and stir to combine. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks. 

Back to the Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe:

Instructions

Soak the Grape Leaves: Soak the grape leaves in a large pot filled with boiling water and one tablespoon salt for five minutes. Remove from water and strain. If using jarred Grape Leaves, rinse them in hot water at least twice to remove all the vinegar they’re preserved in.

Cook the Onions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned.

Add Garlic and Pine Nuts: Add the garlic and pine nuts and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the Lamb: Raise heat to high, add the ground lamb and cook just until meat is browned. Add uncooked rice and stir 1-2 minutes to combine. (The rice will cook when the grape leaves are steamed.)

Remove from heat, add mint leaves, currants, and baharat. Season with salt and adjust seasoning according to taste.

Roll the Grape Leaves: Place a leaf, shiny side down (veiny side up) on a clean working space. Place about one teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf, fold in the sides of the leaf, and roll from the bottom to the top. Make sure to create a very tight roll.

Place Rolled Grape Leaves in Pot: Line a large pot with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the prepared leaves tightly on top of the tomatoes in concentric circles, leaving no gaps between them. Repeat until you run out of grape leaves, or the pot is full. When you finish one layer, start the second layer.

Add Garlic and Marinating Sauce: Evenly sprinkle the sliced garlic over the grape leaves. Mix together the marinating sauce ingredients and pour over the grape leaves.

Place a plate over the leaves, cover the pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or cold with cucumber yogurt or warmed hummus.  

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber Analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Greek Cuisine,  Mediterranean, Kilbride, Potpourri of Frugality, Homemade, Do it yourself