← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 50 preserved vine leaves (about one 450 g jar)
• 250 g short- or medium-grain rice
• 3 Tomato, finely diced
• 60 g Parsley, finely chopped
• 20 g Mint, finely chopped
• 4 Spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Dried mint
• 2 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 Lemon, juiced (about 120 ml), divided
• 1 Potato, sliced thin, to line the pot
• 500 ml hot water

Method

1. Rinse the vine leaves in hot water, drain and snip off any stems. Soak the rice in cold water for 15 min, then drain well.
2. Mix the rice with the tomatoes, herbs, spring onions, spices, half the oil and half the lemon juice.
3. Lay a leaf shiny side down, veins up. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll up firmly into a slim cigar; the rice expands, so do not overfill. Repeat, using torn leaves to patch holes.
4. Line the base of a heavy pot with the potato slices and any spare leaves. Pack the rolls in snugly, seam-side down, in tight layers.
5. Pour over the remaining oil and lemon juice and enough hot water to just cover, with a pinch of salt. Weigh the rolls down with an upturned plate.
6. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 50–60 min, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Cool in the pot for at least 30 min and serve at room temperature.

Tips

• Taste a roll before you take the pot off the heat; if the rice is still firm, add a splash of water and cook a little longer.
• They keep for 4 days in the fridge and taste even better the next day.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Simply Lebanese Mama's Lebanese Kitchen Chef in Disguise