A perfectly stuffed Arabian grape leaf is a thing of beauty, and this version can be found throughout the Gulf. After slowly simmering in a bath of olive oil and lemon juice, she’s plump, tart and silky rich. Inside is a glory of rice, laced with fresh mint and parsley, and a smattering of tomatoes and green onion. What’s not inside? The lengthy-lettered preservatives and flat flavors that jarred grape leaves offer.
Ask anyone in Qatar – stuffed grape leaves must be made with loving hands, not purchased. And that is exactly what we did, and hope you get a chance to try sometime soon.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 40 grape leaves | 1 hour |
| Cook Time |
| 1 hour |
|
|
|
|
A perfectly stuffed Arabian grape leaf is a thing of beauty, and this version can be found throughout the Gulf. After slowly simmering in a bath of olive oil and lemon juice, she’s plump, tart and silky rich. Inside is a glory of rice, laced with fresh mint and parsley, and a smattering of tomatoes and green onion. What’s not inside? The lengthy-lettered preservatives and flat flavors that jarred grape leaves offer.
Ask anyone in Qatar – stuffed grape leaves must be made with loving hands, not purchased. And that is exactly what we did, and hope you get a chance to try sometime soon.
|
Ingredients
For stuffed grape leaves:
- 1 jar grape leaves in vinegar brine, drained (about 40-50 leaves)
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- 5 green onions (chopped)
- 1/2 cups parsley (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp mint (chopped)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt
- pepper
For cooking:
- 2 potatoes , sliced
- 2-3 large tomatoes (chopped)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
Optional accompaniments
- olives (black or green)
- tomatoes , sliced
Servings: grape leaves
Units:
Instructions
- For the insides, mix together a fresh collection of rinsed but raw rice, tomatoes, green onion, mint, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Now all you need to do is wiggle those stubborn grape leaves out of the jar and begin wrapping them up. To do so, place leaf backside up and place a small spoonful of filling by the stem end. Begin to roll the leaf from the stem end. After about one roll, fold the left and right sides in. Continue rolling. You don’t need to make them super tight because the rice needs room to expand as it absorbs the liquid.
- Add potato slices to bottom of pot. Then add the grape leaves. Stack them tightly together, making one neat layer on top of another. Keep rolling and rolling.
- Next, top with tomato slices. Pour on the olive oil and any juices at the bottom of the bowl that held the rice. Cover with a plate to keep the grape leaves from floating and unrolling, then top off with a lid. Simmer gently for about one hour. This will allow the potatoes at the bottom of the pot to get a nice crust. Then add the lemon juice and cook an additional hour (or to taste)… you’re looking for the rice to be tender inside of the grape leaves… (cut one open to check). I’ve seen several recipes cook them for upwards of three hours, so don’t despair if yours needs longer.
- Arrange them on a plate (this is about 1/3 of them) and pile some of the lemony potatoes in the center. Garnish with the cooked and sliced tomatoes, as well as a few olives.