attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts 
When I was younger, one of the reasons I adored long road trips was because my mum would make these awesome portable stuffed grape leaves to eat as we travelled. These delicious finger foods are filled with protein and make a great meal. They're awesome for lunchbox meals and picnics. These keep well for several days in the fridge.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 50 stuffed grape leaves
Source: My mother's recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup yellow split peas, parboiled
- 1 cup basmati rice, parboiled
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 lb ground beef or lamb
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 Tbsp tarragon, chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 lb jar of grape leaves
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice for drizzling (at the end)
Steps:
- Soak the grape leaves in very hot water to remove some of the brine. Drain well and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, fry onions in a bit of oil until golden brown. Add meat, turmeric, and lemon juice. When the meat is cooked, add the parboiled rice, the parboiled split peas, and chopped vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Snip off any large stems from the bottoms of the grape leaves.
- To stuff the grape leaves, make sure the shiny side of the leaves are facing down on your work surface. You will be putting the stuffing on the matte side (pictured here on the right).
- Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a leaf.
- Roll the bottom up, the top down, and the sides in.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large, shallow pan or dutch oven.
- Place several grape leaves flat on the bottom of the pot.
- Place stuffed grape leaves in the pot around in a circle, making sure there is no space between them. Any space will cause them to unravel and loosen. You want to keep them tightly packed. Continue to place them in the pot so you have 2 to 3 layers of them.
- Sprinkle the top with sugar.
- Lay some more grape leaves on top to cover them.
- Add about a cup of water, a drizzle of oil, and a squeeze of lemon to the pot.
- Put a plate on top of the grape leaves to put some weight down on them. Bring everything to a boil, set heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour.
- Remove lid and drizzle a tablespoon of lemon juice on top while still cooking on low.
- If all the cooking liquid has evaporated, add a bit more water, then cover and cook another half hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. My favourite way is cold the next day! Yum!
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15mhhm15
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,298 Posts June 7, 20180 found this helpful
Looks really good and Ive never thought of trying grape leaves for cooking.
attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts June 8, 20180 found this helpful
They're truly a delight. When you bite into them they have a bit of a soft snap, and they have a taste like no other. Great aroma, too!
Anonymous
June 9, 20180 found this helpful
You can't eat just l . l used ground beef in mine. Easy to make and great take along for cold lunches of which l like Best .
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