Tender grape leaves stuffed with herb-fragrant rice, rolled tightly then simmered gently in lemon and olive oil. A vegetarian Lebanese classic, tart, meltingly tender and highly aromatic.
Ingredients
- 40 leaves jarred plain grape leaves
- 220 g short-grain rice
- 3 pieces ripe tomatoes
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 0.5 bunches fresh mint
- 3 pieces lemon
- 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground quatre-épices
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 pieces potatoes
- 500 ml water
Method
- Rinse the grape leaves under cool water, drain them, then taste a leaf: it should remain slightly salty but not aggressively so. If it seems too briny, let it soak briefly, then drain again.
- Rinse the rice until the water is less cloudy, then drain it carefully. It should remain damp but without excess water at the bottom of the bowl.
- Finely chop the onion, tomatoes, parsley and mint, then mix them with the rice, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, quatre-épices and cinnamon. The filling should be glossy, fresh and well perfumed.
- Line the bottom of a pot with potato rounds and the torn leaves. This layer protects the rolls and must cover the bottom without leaving large empty spaces.
- Place a grape leaf vein-side up, add a little filling near the base, fold in the sides, then roll without squeezing excessively. The roll should stay closed while leaving room for the rice to swell.
- Arrange the rolls tightly in the pot, seam-side down, in even layers. The surface must be compact to prevent the leaves from opening during the simmer.
- Pour in the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and enough water to cover the rolls, then place a heatproof plate on top to weigh them down. Bring to a gentle simmer: the liquid should barely move, with no rolling boils.
- Cover and cook over low heat until the leaves are tender, the rice is soft and the lemony aroma is pronounced. Remove from the heat and let rest covered so the rolls firm up before serving warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 529.6 kcal
- Protein
- 6.25 g
- Carbohydrate
- 59.3 g
- Fat
- 30.86 g
- Fibre
- 5.37 g
- Calcium
- 23.77 mg
- Iron
- 0.58 mg
- Magnesium
- 10.04 mg
