Best 5 My Own Famous Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipes

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Embark on a culinary journey to discover the art of preparing your own famous stuffed grape leaves, a cherished dish that captures the essence of Mediterranean cuisine. Delight your palate with these savory morsels, where tender grape leaves embrace a delectable filling of aromatic rice, succulent minced meat, and a symphony of herbs and spices. As you roll and stuff each leaf with care, immerse yourself in the tradition and culture behind this beloved dish, creating a masterpiece that will tantalize taste buds and evoke memories of gatherings around the table.

Let's cook with our recipes!

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES



Stuffed Grape Leaves image

Provided by George Duran

Categories     dessert

Time 8h

Yield 20 to 24 rolls

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 head garlic
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white rice
1/4 cup chopped dill
1 (16-ounce) jar 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.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES



My Own Famous Stuffed Grape Leaves image

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

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 quarts chicken broth
¾ cup fresh lemon juice, divided
60 grape leaves, drained and rinsed
hot water as needed
1 cup olive oil

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

ROSE'S STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES



Rose's Stuffed Grape Leaves image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     appetizer

Time 2h30m

Yield 40 to 50 stuffed grape leaves

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 jar preserved grape leaves, drained
1 cup olive oil
4 large onions, diced (about 8 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
1 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped currants
1 teaspoon chopped dry mint
1/8 teaspoon allspice

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 large saucepan, heat 3/4 cup olive oil, add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the water and stir in the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and mix in the pine nuts, lemon juice, parsley, currants, dry mint, allspice, and additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • 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 3 quart 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, 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. Cool the rolls in the pan, covered, then chill, covered and serve cold.

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES-SORT OF



Middle Eastern Stuffed Grape Leaves-Sort Of image

These are not made in tomato sauce, but in chicken broth and lemon juice, and I think the flavor combination is really good. This is from the middle eastern cookbook by Tess Mallos. My husband is Palestinian, but this recipe came from the Cyprus section of the book. I'm not a big fan of grape leaf rolls as normally prepared in the Middle East with tomato sauce but these I can actually enjoy, especially with the sauce. I have modified it slightly but not much, and have tried to emphasize the places I have gone wrong with this recipe in the past to help you get it right the first time.

Provided by loverania

Categories     Vegetable

Time 2h30m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 19

12 ounces preserved grape leaves or 60 fresh grape leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (if you live near an hallal butcher ask for Iraqi Kabob, it is a flavorful mixture of both) or 1 1/2 lbs lamb (if you live near an hallal butcher ask for Iraqi Kabob, it is a flavorful mixture of both)
1/2 cup rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped mint
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chicken broth (and I even add a chicken cube for more flavor)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 eggs
1 -2 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
white pepper (I never have this so I use black, you just get little flecks in you sauce, still yummy!)

Steps:

  • Rinse grape leaves in cold water and blanch in boiling water for three minutes in three or four lots. Remove to basin of cold water with slotted spoon then into colander to drain. (This is the hard part for me, as the leaves tend to want to come apart).
  • Gently fry onion in oil until soft. Lightly mix meat, rice, onion, oil, herbs, salt and pepper until will combined.
  • Place a grape leaf, shiny side down on a work surface. Snip of stem if necessary. Place about a tablespoon of mixture near stem end, fold end and sides over stuffing and roll up firmly. Stuffing will make about 4 dozen rolls (you will be an expert roller when you are finished!).
  • Line base of a heavy pan with six leaves(use the ones that fell apart during the blanching) pack the rolls on top in layers close together to keep them from falling apart during cooking (I have discovered the hard way this is VERY important). Sprinkle lemon juice over every layer.
  • Cover top of rolls with remaining grape leaves. Add butter, chicken stock and remaining lemon juice. Invert a heavy plate on top to keep rolls in shape during cooking (also VERY important).
  • Cover pan with lid and place over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer, then simmer gently over LOW heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
  • To make sauce: melt butter in a small sauce pan and stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes with out browning and stir in the stock stir constantly until sauce thickens and bubbles.
  • Beat eggs in a bowl until frothy and beat in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Pour hot sauce into eggs gradually, beating constantly (you really can do this with two hands) Return sauce to pan and stir over gentle heat for two minutes to cook the egg. Care must be taken as sauce could curdle. If this happens, sprinkle a little cold water into sauce and beat with egg whisk.
  • Drain cooked rolls (CAREFULLY) and arrange on a serving dish, garnish with parsley and lemon slices, serve egg and lemon sauce in a separate sauce boat.
  • You can also serve these cold without the sauce.

ELAINE'S DOLMATHES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)



Elaine's Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves) image

Stuffed Grape leaves is an economical dish as well as very nutritious and diet friendly. This recipe is tried and true. Once you make these you will never purchase prepared stuffed grape leaves. If you do not care for lamb you can omit and increase the ground beef. You can also use fresh grape leaves if there are vines in your area. Just pick the leaves and follow the recipe.

Provided by JCC4329

Categories     Lamb/Sheep

Time 2h45m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb
1 cup rice
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 cup water
1 (16 ounce) jar grape leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
20 grinds ground pepper

Steps:

  • Remove grape leaves from jar and cut off stems. Place a few leaves (10) at a time in a deep fry pan of simmering water for a about a minute. This removes the brine.
  • Line the bottom of a 3 qt pan with 3 to 4 large leaves.
  • Mix remaining ingredients except water in a bowl and start rolling.
  • Place leaf, face or shiny side down. Put a small amount of mixture on upper half of leaf (stem end). Make one roll then turn sides in . Continue to roll.
  • Place rolled grape leaves in the prepared pot seam side down. I work from the outer edge. Once the first layer is complete start a second layer.
  • When all filling is used cover rolled leaves with 4 large leaves. Cover the leaves with a saucer that will fit inside the pot and add the 1 cup water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 347.5, Fat 16.6, SaturatedFat 6.5, Cholesterol 59.2, Sodium 2203, Carbohydrate 30.3, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 2.4, Protein 20.1

Tips:

  • Choose fresh, tender grape leaves. The younger the leaves, the more pliable they will be and the easier they will be to roll.
  • Blanch the grape leaves before using. This will help to soften them and make them more pliable. To blanch the leaves, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the leaves into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until they are bright green. Remove the leaves from the boiling water and immediately transfer them to a bowl of cold water. This will stop the cooking process and help to preserve the leaves' color.
  • Use a variety of fillings. Stuffed grape leaves can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including rice, meat, vegetables, and herbs. Some popular fillings include:
    • Rice and ground beef
    • Rice and lamb
    • Rice and vegetables
    • Rice and herbs
  • Season the filling well. The filling is the most important part of stuffed grape leaves, so make sure to season it well. Use a combination of salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices to taste.
  • Roll the grape leaves tightly. The tighter you roll the grape leaves, the less likely they are to fall apart during cooking. To roll the grape leaves, place a spoonful of filling in the center of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling and then roll the leaf up tightly, starting from the bottom. Tuck the ends of the leaf into the roll to secure it.
  • Cook the stuffed grape leaves in a flavorful sauce. The sauce will help to add flavor to the stuffed grape leaves and keep them moist. Some popular sauces for stuffed grape leaves include:
    • Tomato sauce
    • Lemon-egg sauce
    • Yogurt sauce
  • Serve the stuffed grape leaves warm or at room temperature. Stuffed grape leaves can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are also a popular dish to serve at potlucks and parties.

Conclusion:

Stuffed grape leaves are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are a great way to use fresh grape leaves and they can be filled with a variety of different ingredients. Stuffed grape leaves can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are also a popular dish to serve at potlucks and parties. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make delicious stuffed grape leaves at home.

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