Indulge in the delectable flavors of stuffed grape leaves, a quintessential dish enjoyed across various cultures. These tender grape leaves are meticulously stuffed with a flavorful mixture of seasoned ground meat, aromatic herbs, and savory rice, creating a harmonious blend of textures and flavors. Embark on a culinary journey as we present two enticing variations of this beloved dish: the classic meat-stuffed grape leaves and a vegetarian-friendly version bursting with the goodness of lentils and vegetables. Each recipe is meticulously crafted to guide you through the art of preparing these culinary gems, ensuring a delightful dining experience. Discover the secrets of selecting the perfect grape leaves, mastering the art of stuffing, and achieving the ideal cooking time for tender, flavorful grape leaves that will tantalize your taste buds.
Let's cook with our recipes!
MEAT & RICE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
Provided by Olivia's Cuisine
Time 1h40m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a skillet, heat 2Tbsp of the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the spices and let them sweat for a couple more minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the meat, the rice, the onion mixture and the parsley. Mix everything together with your hands until everything is incorporated. Reserve.
- Drain and rinse the grape leaves.
- Take the stems of every grape leaf and blanch them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.
- To roll the grape leaves, place a leaf with the vein side up on your work surface. Add one tablespoon of the filling mixture to the center of the leaf. Fold the edges in and up and roll the grape leaf until it looks like a cigar, tucking the edges under the roll. Proceed with the other leaves until you've run out of filling or leaves. (See blog post for step-by-step pictures!)
- Line a heavy bottomed pot with (unrolled) grape leaves. On top of that, add the onion rings.
- Proceed to arrange the stuffed grape leaves in rows, alternating the direction of each layer of rows.
- Fill the pot with the chicken broth (enough to cover the rolls) and the remaining olive oil.
- Place a plate on the top to prevent the rolls from floating.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- When it boils, lower the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes, until meat is cooked and rice is tender.
- Remove the rolls from the broth and serve warm or at room temperature.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
Steps:
- Put the onions and oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, peel the garlic cloves and mash them to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Add this to the pan along with the tomato, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dill. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
- While this is cooling, drain the grape leaves and carefully pull them apart. Put them into a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak until you are ready to roll.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a grape leaf on your work surface, shiny side down. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture to the middle of the grape leaf. Fold the sides over the rice and roll the leaf into a small log shape, about the size of George's thumb. Repeat with the remaining rice, placing the stuffed leaves into a 9 by 9-inch baking dish. When the dish is full, cover the stuffed leaves with several layers of flat grape leaves and pour in 1 cup of water. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Serve cool.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (WITH MEAT) RECIPE - (4.4/5)
Provided by sherryl61
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Remove grape leaves from brine. Rinse, then soak in cold water to remove some of the saltiness of the brine. Soak the rice for 10 minutes in hot water and drain. (Alternatively, sauté the rice with the onion. I prefer to do this.) Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned. In a bowl, combine the onions, ground beef, rice, remaining olive oil, dill, mint,cumin,turmeric, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix well by hand. Gently separate one leaf and place it shiny side down on a work surface. Trim larger stems off with sharp knife. Place a pinch (up to a teaspoon) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joined the leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. Roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used. I use a dolmade roller to make this much easier and quicker. Because the leaves on the bottom can burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit as closely as possible to the sides. If there are unused leaves, or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the stuffed leaves on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (2-3 layers is best, but no more than 4 layers). Place several unused leaves over the top. Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the stuffed leaves, with something to weight it down (a second plate works well). Add 2 cups of beef stock or water to the pot and cover. Bring the beef stock or water to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 50-70 minutes. (Note: if using water, add additional 3/4 cup lemon juice to the water for flavor. I much prefer beef stock). Check to see if done. If the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop element. (I have also done these in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours). If preferred, use a pressure cooker. No plates needed, but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the stuffed grape leaves into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15-20 minutes at the first pressure mark. Serving: Individual servings of stuffed grape leaves are 4-5 pieces on small plates as an appetizer, however they can also be used as a side or main dish. Serve them warm or at room temperature with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), lemon wedges, tzatziki, or unflavored yogurt on the side. If I have time, I make tzatziki; otherwise Fage makes a good one. Storage: These will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Drizzle olive oil on top and cover to store. They can also be frozen. If you do freeze, reheat in the microwave or by steaming and serve warm. Don't just thaw and eat. Tips: 1.If you don't have a plate that fits or skewers, line the bottom of the pan with unused or torn leaves. 2.Leftover filling can be used to make stuffed vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. 3.To make as a main course, use larger grape leaves and increase the amount of filling in each leaf to 1 tablespoon.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES (WITH MEAT)
This is from the old McCalls Cooking School collection. I haven't tried the egg and lemon sauce, but the grape leaves themselves are absolutely delicious.
Provided by Chilicat
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 2h15m
Yield 49 pieces
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In 1/3 cup hot oil in 12-inch skillet, saute onion and green onion, stirring until golden - 5 minutes. Add lamb; cook, stirring until lamb is no longer pink - 10 minutes. Add rice, nuts, dill salt, pepper and 3/4 cup water. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, until water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat. Turn into bowl to cool 30 minutes before stuffing grape leaves. Meanwhile, separate grape leaves. Rinse well in cold water to wash away any brine. Dry well on paper towels. Use imperfect leaves for layering evenly in the bottom of the skillet.
- Lay leaves, shiny side down, on flat surface.Put 1 tablespoon lamb mixture in center of each leaf; fold sides over filling; roll up, starting from narrow end. Do not roll too tightly; rice needs room to expand. Fill skillet with closely fitted layers of stuffed leaves.
- Pour lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup cold water over them. Put heavy plat, upside down, on top to prevent leaves from unrolling. Bring to boiling; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed - 30 minutes. Cool in skillet, if serving cold as an appetizer.
- With slotted utensil, lift out of liquid onto serving plate.
- If serving warm with egg-and-lemon sauce: In small saucepan over direct heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix until smooth.
- Stir in 1 can chicken broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring, until boiling. In small bowl, beat 4 egg yolks slightly; beat in small amount of hot mixture. Slowly return to pan, stirring until thick. Remove from heat. Makes 2 cups.
LEBANESE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
Provided by Food Network
Categories side-dish
Time 2h45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground beef, rice, garlic powder, allspice, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, and set aside.
- Rinse grape leaves several times. If the leaves are small, leave them intact, but cut out the large center vein. If the leaves are large, cut them in half vertically, cutting out the large vein in the process. Place a small amount of the ground meat mixture at the end of each leaf. Roll up egg-roll style.
- Pour the oil into the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Lay the chops over the oil. Lay the tomato slices over the chops.
- Place the stuffed grape leaves seam-side down on top of the chops. Pack the leaves tightly and begin a second layer when necessary. Place whole garlic cloves randomly between the rolled leaves; plenty of garlic on each layer.
- When you are done stacking, pour the lemon juice over the leaves, and add water to the pot to about 2-inches above the rolled leaves. To prevent the leaves from unrolling during cooking, place a plate on top of the stack of leaves and place a heavy object on top of the plate.
- Simmer the leaves over low heat for about 2 hours.
- Invert the entire Dutch oven into a large platter with high sides (i.e. a 12-inch round cake pan). Or, remove the leaves from the pot with tongs. Serve rustic style, with plenty of Arabic bread on which to spread the garlic!
DOLMATHAKIA ME KIMA: STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH MEAT AND RICE
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, and add the juice of 1/2 lemon and the salt. Carefully unroll the leaves (do not separate them). Turn off the heat and place the leaves in the hot water for 3 minutes.
- Remove the leaves and place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. When cooled, drain in a colander. It is not unusual for many of the outer leaves in the jar to be damaged or to tear while using. Set these aside to use later in the recipe.
- To prepare the filling, start by soaking the rice for 10 minutes in hot water and drain. (Alternatively, sauté the rice with the onion.)
- Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned.
- In a bowl, combine the onion, ground beef, rice, remaining olive oil, dill, mint, juice of 1 lemon, salt, and pepper. Mix well by hand.
- To fill and roll the leaves, gently separate one leaf and place it shiny-side down on a work surface. Place a heaping teaspoon (or more depending on the size of the leaf) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joins the leaf.
- Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. The roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
- Because the leaves on the bottom can burn while the filling cooks, put a plate or wooden souvlaki skewers in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot (see tip below). The plate should fit snugly in the pot.
- If there are unused leaves or leaves that were torn and not used during the filling process, put them on the plate or on top of the skewers. Place the dolmathakia on top, packing them closely together (not squashed), seam side down, so they don't unroll during cooking. Layer them until all are in the pot (two to three layers are best, but no more than four layers). Place several unused leaves over the top.
- Take another plate and place it upside down on top of the dolmathakia, using something to weigh it down (a second plate works well). Add the 2 cups of water to the pot and cover. Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the remaining juice from the 1 1/2 lemons, reduce heat to low, and simmer for approximately 50 to 70 minutes. Check to see if done-if the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again. Cooking time depends both on the type of pot used and the particular stovetop heating element.
- If preferred, you can use a pressure cooker. No plates are needed but do use the skewers in the bottom. Pack the dolmathakia into the pressure cooker, add the 2 cups of water, close and cook for 15 to 20 minutes at the first pressure mark.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 225 kcal, Carbohydrate 10 g, Cholesterol 54 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 19 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 1205 mg, Sugar 1 g, Fat 12 g, ServingSize 10-12 Pieces (10-12 Servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
DOLMADES - AUTHENTIC GREEK STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES W/ MEAT (SOUTHER
A good friend of mine is from Greece and his mom told him that it would be too difficult for me to make good dolmades. I wanted to prove them wrong. I researched different recipes and combined them to come up with this very yummy, very authentic, surprise for him. If you prefer dolmadakia with tzatziki instead of plain yogurt, just add peeled and chopped cucumber and garlic, olive oil and salt - all to taste. Kali orexi!
Provided by LJ in San Francisco
Categories White Rice
Time 3h
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Unroll grape leaves and place in a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water, and cover leaves with cold water. Let soak while preparing stuffing.
- Knead the rest of the ingredientes together. Spoon filling inside a leaf and roll like a burrito, sealing completely.
- In large pot, add olive oil to cover bottom or butter. Arrange rolled dolmades on top. Do this all at once, not as you roll them. Pour chicken broth over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Serve with Greek yogurt and lemon wedges.
Tips:
- To soften the grape leaves, place them in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes, or until they are pliable.
- If you don't have any grape leaves, you can use cabbage leaves instead.
- To make the filling, you can use any type of ground meat that you like. Beef, lamb, and pork are all popular choices.
- You can also add other ingredients to the filling, such as rice, onions, garlic, and herbs.
- To roll the grape leaves, place a small amount of filling in the center of a grape leaf. Fold the leaf over the filling, and then roll it up tightly.
- You can cook the grape leaves in a pot of boiling water, or you can steam them in a steamer basket.
- Serve the grape leaves with a dollop of yogurt or tzatziki sauce.
Conclusion:
Stuffed grape leaves are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are perfect for parties and potlucks, and they can also be made ahead of time and frozen. With a little practice, you can easily make stuffed grape leaves at home. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give stuffed grape leaves a try. You won't be disappointed!
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