Turkish · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Turkish Stuffed Vine Leaves with Herbed Rice
Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarma
Tender vine leaves wrapped around fragrant rice studded with pine nuts, currants, dill and mint, then gently simmered in lemon and olive oil. Served cool, they make a bright, light meze or lunch.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 61% · Fat 31% · Protein 8%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- about 50 large leaves200 gFresh vine leaves, stems trimmed (about 50 large leaves)
- 4 cups1,000 gWater, for blanching the leaves
- 1 cup200 gShort-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 medium300 gOnions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp40 gExtra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp18 gPine nuts
- 2 tbsp20 gDried currants
- 1 tbsp16 gTomato paste
- 1 tspGround allspice
- 1/2 tspGround cinnamon
- 1/2 tspGround black pepper
- 1 tspSugar
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/2 cup120 gWater, for the filling
- 1 small bunch (about 1 cup chopped)25 gFresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed10 gFresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup30 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp45 gLemon juice
- 2 cups480 gHot water, for cooking the rolls
- 1 medium100 gLemon, cut into wedges, to serve (optional)
Steps
- 1
Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
- 2
Blanch the vine leaves in batches for 1-2 minutes until they turn olive green and pliable.
- 3
Drain the leaves, rinse under cold water and snip off any tough stems.
- 4
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onions for about 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- 5
Add the pine nuts and stir for 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
- 6
Stir in the rinsed rice and cook for 3 minutes until the grains turn glossy.
- 7
Add the tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, sugar, salt and currants and stir for 1 minute.
- 8
Pour in the 1/2 cup of water, cover and simmer on low for about 5 minutes until the water is absorbed; the rice will still be firm.
- 9
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the dill, mint and parsley, and let the filling cool for 10 minutes.
- 10
Line the base of a heavy pot with 4-5 torn or spare leaves.
- 11
Lay a leaf shiny side down, place about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll up snugly but not too tight.
- 12
Repeat with the rest, packing the rolls seam side down in tight layers in the pot.
- 13
Drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the lemon juice, then pour in the 2 cups of hot water so the rolls are just covered.
- 14
Place a small heatproof plate on top to keep the rolls from unrolling.
- 15
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for 40-45 minutes until the rice is fully tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 16
Let the rolls cool completely in the pot so they firm up and soak in the juices.
- 17
Serve at room temperature or chilled, with lemon wedges if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use jarred vine leaves in brine instead of fresh, soaking them in several changes of hot water and leaving out the added salt.
- Swap the pine nuts for chopped walnuts or toasted sunflower seeds if pine nuts are hard to find or pricey.
- Replace the currants with finely chopped raisins, or leave them out for a less sweet filling.
- Use medium-grain rice such as Calrose if you can't find short-grain rice.
Storage
Refrigerate cooled rolls within 2 hours in an airtight container with a little of their cooking liquid, and eat within 3 to 4 days. They are served cool, so there's no need to reheat, and they are best not frozen as the leaves turn soggy.
Make ahead
Make the rolls a day ahead and chill them in their juices, which helps them firm up and absorb the lemon flavor. The filling can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated before rolling.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Sulphites
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (419 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 272 kcal | 65 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g | 1.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42.8 g | 10.2 g |
| of which sugars | 7.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fiber | 5.5 g | 1.3 g |
| Fat | 9.8 g | 2.3 g |
| of which saturated | 1.3 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 219 mg | 52 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
