Stuffed vine leaves

Stuffed vine leaves

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about 40-45:
50 vine leaves
1 cup rice
3 cups bouillon (stock) or water
2 onion heads
1-2 tablespoons pine nuts
1-2 tablespoons raisins
1/3 teaspoon cumin
1/3 teaspoon allspice
1/3 teaspoon sumac
1/3 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon dry mint
black pepper
salt
sunflower oil
1 lemon

1 cup = 250 ml

PREPARATION:
Cut the onion into small pieces and fry it in a little sunflower oil until it softens. Add the rice and fry it until it becomes translucent. Add the cumin, allspice, sumac, cloves, dry mint, pine nuts, finely cut raisins, black pepper and salt. Add some of the water (bouillon). Once the liquid gets absorbed add more of it and keep doing this until the rice absorbs all of the water and finishes cooking. Remove from the heat and let the rice cool.
If the vine leaves are fresh soak them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until they soften and then rinse them with cold water.
Spread some of the cooled filling onto a leaf.

Stuffed vine leaves

Fold the leaf from both sides as shown on the photo.

Stuffed vine leaves

And roll forward as shown below.

Stuffed vine leaves

Put several vine leaves onto the bottom of a saucepan and then place all the rolls next to each other and onto the leaves.

Stuffed vine leaves

Once you’ve placed all of them put a porcelain plate or a lid onto them so that it presses them and doesn’t let them unfold during cooking. Pour sunflower oil onto them and fill the saucepan with water so that they are covered. Season with salt and put a cut lemon inside. Boil for 35-40 minutes over low heat.

Stuffed vine leaves

Serve with thick yogurt.

Stuffed vine leaves

Stuffed vine leaves