Grape Leaves Stuffed with Meat and Rice

👥 8 servings 🍽️ main 🌍 Turkish

🥘 Ingredients

Yogurt and Garlic Sauce

  • Greek yogurt
    1 cup
  • garlic (crushed with @salt{1%tsp})
    1 clove

Prepare Grape Leaves and Filling

  • parsley (chopped)
    1 cup
  • dill (optional)
    1/2 cups
  • grape leaves
    1 lb
  • tomato (halved and grated)
    1
  • ground lamb or veal
    1 lb
  • salt
  • onion (minced or grated)
    1
  • water
  • grape leaves
    10.5 oz
  • rice (washed)
    0.33 cups
  • mint (dried)
    1 tbsp
  • butter (melted)
    2 tbsp
  • black pepper

Stuff and Roll

  • tablespoon of filling

Cooking

  • hot water (600 ml)
    2.5 cups
  • cold water
    3-4 tbsp
  • browned butter (optional)
    2 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

  • large bowl
  • work surface
  • pot
  • heavy plate
📝

THIS DISH is so tasty, its fame is well earned. No wedding banquet in Turkey is prepared without it, and it is still the star of traditional banquet tables. Many countries that were once part of the Ottoman Empire still cook this meaty concoction. On a visit to Romania, I learned that it is the national dish, served with yogurt and garlic sauce, just as we do. Greeks serve it with lemon and egg sauce instead.

Yogurt and Garlic Sauce

  1. 1
    Beat together the Greek yogurt and garlic and let sit at room temperature.
    Greek yogurt: 1 cup, garlic: 1 clove (crushed with @salt{1%tsp})

Prepare Grape Leaves and Filling

  1. 2
    If using fresh grape leaves : blanch briefly in boiling water.
    grape leaves: 10.5 oz
  2. 3
    If using brined grape leaves : soak for ⏱️ 30 minutes in warm water and rinse well.
    grape leaves: 1 lb
  3. 4
    In a large bowl combine ground lamb or veal , rice , parsley , dill , mint , onion , and tomato .
    ground lamb or veal: 1 lb, rice: 0.33 cups (washed), parsley: 1 cup (chopped), dill: 1/2 cups (optional), mint: 1 tbsp (dried), onion: 1 (minced or grated), tomato: 1 (halved and grated)
  4. 5
    Add butter and season with salt and black pepper .
    butter: 2 tbsp (melted), salt, black pepper
  5. 6
    If mixture seems dry, add a few spoonfuls of water .
    water

Stuff and Roll

  1. 7
    Lay one grape leaf shiny-side down on the work surface .
  2. 8
    Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling near the stem end.
    tablespoon of filling
  3. 9
    Fold bottom over filling, fold sides inward, then roll tightly.
  4. 10
    Repeat with remaining leaves.
  5. 11
    Line a pot with a few grape leaves.

Cooking

📝

Note: To brown the butter, heat it slowly until it gives off a nutty aroma and is almost brown. If left too long in the pan, the particles will burn and make the butter bitter.

  1. 12
    Pack rolls tightly in the pot.
  2. 13
    Add cold water . Place a heavy plate on top and cover.
    cold water: 3-4 tbsp
  3. 14
    Cook for ⏱️ 5 minutes , until water is absorbed.
  4. 15
    Add hot water and cook for ⏱️ 30 minutes , or until most liquid is absorbed.
    hot water: 2.5 cups (600 ml)
  5. 16
    Arrange on a platter, drizzle with browned butter , and serve with yogurt sauce.
    browned butter: 2 tbsp (optional)