Lebanese Grape Leaves
My Mom and I made these growing up. The hardest part is rolling the leaves. But once you get going you’re “on a roll” 😭
Ingredients
1 jar grape leaves rinsed well
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1/2 onion chopped finely
2 medium Private Selection Campari tomatoes
1 Tb dried mint
Small bunch of parsley chopped finely
Small bunch of fresh dillchopped finely
Few sprigs of fresh mintchopped finely
1 lemon juiced and zest + 1 lemon, sliced
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups of water
Steps
Separate and rinse the leaves, be careful!
After they drain in colander, take out and wrap in paper towels.
The garbanzo beans or another similar texture vegetable.
Put in Cuisinart and pulse it!
Set to the side, will add later.
The onions -
Sauté the onions in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes or until they become translucent. Then add the basmati rice and toss a bit with the olive oil to coat, for 2 minutes. You don’t want to fully cook rice.
The tomatoes-
Once you grate the tomatoes, add the juice w/o the pulp to the rice mixture and toss to mix through. Then mix herbs, mint and parsley. I always add extra parsley.
Add the Garbanzo beans, lemon zest and tomato juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in the vegetable stock.
Cover the pan and cook 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
You don’t want to fully cook the rice!
It will cook once in Grape leaves.
Once that’s ready allow mixture to cool slightly. Set in a bowl ready to roll!
You will need a large pot to cook the grape leaves in. Begin by preparing pot, you can layer the bottom with any torn leaves and a few lemons.
Let’s roll!
Lay 1 leaf flat with the dull side facing you. Remove the little stem (at bottom)
1 small teaspoon of mix at the bottom of the leave.
Then roll half way up, tucking the sides in, (just like a burrito) and roll all the way-up!
Place the grape leaf, seam side down, in the pot.
Finish rolling, remember to not overfill the leaves, because the rice expands.
They need room.
Once all the stuffed grape leaves are rolled, top with leftover torn leaves and lemon slices. Add 2 cups of water and cook on low for about 45 minutes.
Make sure it’s on low because you don’t want them to cook too fast.
