Whether you're a seasoned chef or a beginner in the kitchen, you'll be amazed by the flavors and textures of lamb and rice stuffed grape leaves. This classic Mediterranean dish is a labor of love, but the results are well worth the effort. From selecting the perfect grape leaves to creating the flavorful stuffing, there are many steps involved in making this delicious dish. But don't worry, we'll guide you through the process and provide you with the best tips and tricks to ensure your lamb and rice stuffed grape leaves turn out perfect every time. So get ready to embark on a culinary journey and discover the secrets behind this timeless dish.
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MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
These are grape leaves, stuffed with a tantalizing mixture of rice, fresh dill, mint and lemon. 'Yum' is the only one word to describe these. These can either be a main dish or an appetizer, depending on your appetite. Serve with good crusty bread and a Greek salad, if desired.
Provided by Patti Moschonas
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Fruit
Time 1h40m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
- Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
- Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 302.6 calories, Carbohydrate 30.9 g, Fat 18.7 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 3.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 573.2 mg, Sugar 1.2 g
LAMB-STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h15m
Yield 40 to 50 stuffed grape leaves
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Wash and soak the rice in hot water for 30 minutes.
- Place the rice, lamb, beef, coriander, garlic, lemon salt, olive oil, allspice, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand.
- Place a grape leaf on a cutting board. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the sides and roll tightly from bottom to top. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
- Place the tomatoes evenly in the bottom of a stockpot. Place the rolled leaves in the pot, pointing towards the center of pot. Place a small plate with a weight on top of the grape leaves to hold them in place. Add 1 cup water to the pot and heat over medium heat. Cook for 45 minutes.
- Serve the stuffed grape leaves with lemon wedges.
LAMB AND RICE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
These lamb and rice stuffed grape leaves (dolmas) take some time and effort to put together, so maybe make a double batch. In restaurants these are usually meatless, but I love the lamb in these. No matter what you use, how much rice you use will affect how much liquid you need.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Wraps and Rolls
Time 1h30m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place ground lamb, rice, 1/4 cups olive oil, mint, currants, pine nuts, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and egg in a bowl. Mix together thoroughly with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Gently unroll and separate grape leaves. Rinse in cold water to remove brine. Drain. Reserve broken or less-than-perfect leaves to line pot.
- Place grape leaves on work surface with smooth side down (ribs of leaves up). Place a rounded tablespoon of lamb-rice filling near bottom-center of grape leaf. Fold bottom sections of leaf over mixture, fold over sides, and roll toward the top of the leaf into a firm cylinder. Don't roll too tightly or leaves may burst when rice cooks.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into pot; line bottom of pot with 1 or 2 layers of reserved grape leaves. Place dolmas in pot by arranging them along the sides, then working toward the center to cover the bottom. Leave enough space between dolmas to allow for expansion, but close enough to hold their shapes when cooking. If necessary, stack another layer on top of the first so they all fit. Pour in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil.
- Invert a small plate and then a larger plate over the dolmas to weigh them down while they cook and prevent them from shifting. Pour in hot chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat. As soon as liquid is heated through and starting to bubble (2 to 4 minutes), reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook 35 minutes. Remove plates and check for doneness. Dolmas should look a bit puffed up, and a fork should pierce them easily. If not quite done, continue cooking without the weights: cover the pot and simmer until rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with curls of lemon zest, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 249.9 calories, Carbohydrate 18.1 g, Cholesterol 44.7 mg, Fat 16.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 9.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 2484.9 mg, Sugar 1.5 g
HOT STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH LAMB
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 2h30m
Yield 40 to 50 stuffed grape leaves
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Carefully separate the grape leaves, place in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let the leaves soak for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse to remove excess salt. Drain the leaves, snip off the stems (reserving stems), and lay the leaves on a towel to dry.
- In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil, and stir in the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 17 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute one more minute, until aromas are released. Add the lamb and cook until the meat is well browned, breaking it apart with a fork while cooking, about 15 minutes. Add the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the feta and remove from the heat. Stir in the rice, parsley and mint.
- Place one leaf on a flat surface, vein side up, shiny side down. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and form into a roll. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat process with remaining leaves and filling.
- Line the bottom of a 3quart heavy saucepan with reserved stems, trimmings and any leftover or torn grape leaves, and arrange bundles seam sides down, packing them close together in layers.
- Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with 3/4 cup water, the sugar, and lemon juice, and pour over the stuffed grape leaves. Place a small, heatproof plate on top of the stuffed leaves, cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until leaves are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve warm, garnished with lemon slices and mint leaves.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
This recipe came from my grandfather, he was 100% Lebanese. I have a Lebanese reunion every year and this is what I make and it's the first to go. I serve it with my home made garlic sauce and Lebanese bread YUM!
Provided by Cheryl Marie
Categories Long Grain Rice
Time 1h25m
Yield 200 Grape Leaves
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Wash& stem fresh grape leaves briefly to slightly wilt and drape over something.
- While drying make filling sauce.
- Mix lamb, rice, seasonings, lemon juice and butter.
- Stuff grape leaves with half of a tablespoon or more of the rice mixture.
- Put the mixture close to the bottom where the stem was at,fold and roll like you would a burrito.
- When done stuffing, line bottom of stock pot with torn or broken grape leaves then layer with stuffed grape leaves firmly packed with loose flap down in a 3 quart pot, in tight parallel rows, alternating each layer the opposite way (this will help to keep them from moving) when done line with more torn grape leaves on top, put flat plate on top of grape leave and a pitcher of water on top of the plate to help keep it down.
- fill pot with about 4 to 6 cups of boiled water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a 1/2 cup of lemon juice and salt so that it is just above the grape leaves.
- Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 to 25 till done (check one to see if done).
- Remove grape leaves with tongs.
- NOTES: Save some of the juice for reheating in the mirowave, and cover.
GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH LAMB AND RICE SAUSAGE
Steps:
- Working in batches according to the size of your space, lay the grape leaves, smooth side down and with the stem end facing you, on a work surface, and trim off the stems with a sharp paring knife or scissors. Place about 1 tablespoon of the stuffing in the center of each leaf. Fold each side of the bottom up over the stuffing, roll up the leaf a half turn, and then fold the sides in toward the center. Continue rolling to the top to make a tight, neat cylinder. Pack the rolled leaves in a large pot, tucking them together to make a tight layer, or two, depending on the size of the pot. It's okay to have two layers, as long as they are tightly packed.
- Place a plate that will fit inside the pot over the leaves to keep them from floating up, and pour in water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, still covered, until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes. Pour off the water, pressing down on the plate to drain thoroughly and keep the leaf packets intact. Set the pot aside until the packets are completely cool. Carefully transfer the leaf packets to a platter, cover, and chill, preferably overnight, to firm and intensify the flavor.
- To serve, arrange the lemon slices across the top and pour the olive oil over all. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STUFFED VINE LEAVES WITH LAMB AND WILD RICE
Make and share this Stuffed Vine Leaves With Lamb and Wild Rice recipe from Food.com.
Provided by meandaubrey
Categories Long Grain Rice
Time 50m
Yield 30 Dolmades, 5-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Combine Yogurt, 2 tsps mint and lemon rind in small bowl; stir well.
- Cover and chill.
- Remove stems from Grape leaves.
- Rinse Grape Leaves, drain well, pat dry with paper towel.
- Heat Olive Oil in large non stick skillet over medium heat.
- Saute' onions for 10 minutes.
- Add Garlic and cook for additional minute. Remove from heat.
- Stir in remaining mint, 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, Rice, Pine Nuts, Salt Substitute, Lamb and Chick Peas.
- Spoon even amounts of mixture onto each grape leaf and roll.
- Place stuffed grape leaves, seam side down, in a 13"x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm with yougurt mixture.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 961.5, Fat 46.3, SaturatedFat 12.8, Cholesterol 68.2, Sodium 17489.6, Carbohydrate 107.4, Fiber 5.2, Sugar 11.3, Protein 49.2
Tips:
- Choose the right grape leaves: Use fresh, young grape leaves for the best results. If using jarred grape leaves, rinse them thoroughly before using.
- Prepare the rice: Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking. This will remove any starch and help the rice cook evenly.
- Season the rice: Add salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings to the rice before cooking. This will help flavor the rice and make the stuffed grape leaves more flavorful.
- Use a variety of fillings: In addition to lamb and rice, you can also use other fillings for stuffed grape leaves, such as ground beef, chicken, or vegetables.
- Be careful when rolling the grape leaves: Roll the grape leaves tightly, but not too tightly, or they will tear. You should be able to see the filling through the grape leaves.
- Cook the stuffed grape leaves slowly: Cook the stuffed grape leaves over low heat for at least 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the grape leaves are tender.
- Serve the stuffed grape leaves warm or cold: Stuffed grape leaves can be served warm or cold. They are often served with a yogurt sauce or a lemon-tahini 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 relatively easy to make, but they do require some time and patience. With a little practice, you can make perfect stuffed grape leaves that will impress your friends and family. 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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