Stuffed Grape Leaves Made Easy

5 from 1 vote

Stuffed Grape Leaves Made Easy

Here's a complete guide and recipe to make the PERFECT Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas/Warak Enab)! This is an authentic recipe featuring fresh herbs and rice.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Arabian

Keyword Stuffed Grape Leaves

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Servings people

Calories 50kcal

Author Muna Kenny

Ingredients

600 grams grape leaves or vine leaves from a jar
1 ¼ cup short grain rice Don't use jasmine rice!
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup mint leaves chopped
½ cup parsley leaves chopped
1 large tomato peeled deseeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
½ teaspoon allspice powder use ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon coriander powder as a substitute
Enough boiling stock or water to cover the grape leaves. Details in the instruction below
**For the bottom of the pan place thick slices of potatoes or onions.
** 7 garlic cloves sliced in half to add on top of the stuffed grape leaves.

Instructions

Wash the short-grain rice and soak it for 30 to 40 minutes, it will help the dish to cook faster.
Dip the grape leaves in hot water for one minute. Place the leaves on paper towel to remove excess water.
If the grape leaves are thick then add the leaves to boiling water, let the leaves boil for three minutes.
In a bowl, add all the ingredients (except the grape leaves and boiling water), cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then strain the mixture and keep the liquid aside to use later.
Place the leaves on a working surface. Let the rough side of the leaf face you. Cut the stem if there is any.
Depending on the size of the leaf, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the area above the stem. If the leaf is big you can place up to 1 full tablespoon.
Fold the lower right section of the leaf over the filling, do the same to the left section.
Fold the right section toward the center, do the same to the left section. Roll the leaf firmly toward the top.
Cover the bottom of the pan with thick slices of potatoes and a few grape leaves. Place the stuffed vine leaves on top seam side down. Distribute the garlic cloves on top of the stuffed grape leaves.
When done, pour the liquid strained from the filling previously on the leaves.
Pour the stock or water over the leaves, Place a heat resistance heavy plate that’s smaller than the pan on top of the leaves. The water or stock should slightly cover the edges of the plate.
Cover the pan and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest and cook for two hours and 45 minutes. Check every few minutes to make sure there is still liquid, if all the liquid evaporates then add some more boiling water without seasoning it with salt.
Let the stuffed leaves come to room temperature or at least is warm to the touch before flipping it in a serving plate. If you removed the stuffed leaves while hot, it would break.
When completely cool, place the stuffed leaves in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 7 days and can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Please read the tips for making the best-stuffed grape leaves from the post above.
Do not use coriander leaves instead of parsley, the dish will not taste right!
Instead of potato slices, you can replace them with slices of meat (chicken or red meat).
Don't use Jasmine rice for this recipe.
This post was originally published in 2017, and is now updated with a video and more information.

Nutrition