Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves / Etli Yaprak Sarma
It takes a long time to prepare and very short time to eat. Worth the effort - once in a while.
Servings 6 people
Calories 225kcal
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground meat
- 400 grams grape leaves
- 75 grams fine bulgur
- 3 onions
- 1 bunch dill
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ lemon
- 150 millilitres warm water
Instructions
Stuffing
- Use a large mixing bowl.
- As this dish takes a lot of time feel free to use a food processor to chop the following: onions, parsley, dill.
- Put the following in the bowl. Ground meat, onions, parsley, dill, fine bulgur, paprika, black pepper, salt, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until well combined.
Leaves
- If you are buying loose grape leaves tell the seller you need small sized ones.
- Soak the leaves in warm water and wash well to get rid of the salt they are preserved in. Then drain.
- Cut off the stems. Keep about 20 of them, discard others. While washing, if you notice big ones or ones that have been ripped separate ande save several of them.
Rolling
- Choose large pot. You can also choose to use a pressure cooker. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Toss in the leaf stems you had saved. On top of the stems spread out a layer of leaves that are too large, stiff or ripped. This is done to prevent the grape leaf rolls to get burnt while cooking.
- Now you are ready to roll. On your working place you should have washed grape leaves, the pot that you will cook in, the stuffing and a flat plate.
- Place a grape leaf on a flat dish. The shiny part should be facing downwards. Put a teaspoon of the stuffing on the part close to the stem. Fold two sides inwards and roll the wrap upwards like a cigar. Do not roll too loose or tight. Continue until either the leaves or the filling is finished.
- Place each roll in the pot, starting from the corners, firmly side by side in circles. This is done so that when the water boils they do not float around.
- By the time you are finished with all the rolling the rolls should look like a nicely rolled water hose.
- Make them as small as possible. If you have big leaves cut them in two vertically and roll each one separately.
- Add a 150 millilitres of warm water on top.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top.
- Put a porcelain plate on the very top so the rolls do not swim around in the pot.
- Cook at high heat first. Then when the water boils, reduce the heat to medium.
- Cook until the leaves are cooked. For about half an hour. If there is no more water left and the leaves are not ready you may add some warm water.
- Serve warm with plain yogurt or yogurt mixed with crushed garlic. Plain pasta will be a good companion.