Warak Enab bil Zet (Lebanese Veggie Grape Leaves)
There are a few stories about the origins of Stuffed Grape Leaves. The Greeks claim that stuffed grape leaves originated on a Greek Island (Mount Olympus) and it goes back to the time when Alexander the Great besieged Thebes. Then the Byzantines took the method of stuffed grape leaves and elaborated the dish more by adding meat, herbs, and spices. They also tested the leaves of other trees such as mulberry and hazelnut. As history continues, the dish reaches the court of the Ottoman Empire and it becomes part of the Turkish cuisine. The Ottoman Empire at that time included the Levant countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine where grape leaves is a staple in our Mezza.
Whether this is true or not. The only truth is that stuffed grape leaves are amazing but they are also tedious to work with. It requires a lot of time to mince, saute, and stuff the grape leaves to get a rewarding taste.
In my hometown Saida, Lebanon this dish is called "Warak Enab bil Zet" (Literally Grape Leaves in Olive Oil). However, there are many other names to this dish such as yalamjey, dawali, dolma, dolmathes, etc. There are also different stuffing filling and flavored sauces.
At home we make this two ways. A vegetarian dish (which is this recipe), and another filling stuffed with rice, meat, and 7 spices that we include with stuffed zucchini and tomato sauce.
Recipe will make 60-80 grape leaves based on how much you stuff the grape leaves and the size of the leaf.
Ingredients:
16 oz. grape leaves jar or 2 lbs. freshly picked grape leaves
2-3 bunches parsley (about 4 cups), minced
5 green onion (1 cup), minced
3 vine tomatoes, minced
2 cups medium grain white rice (do not use jasime or basmati for this dish)
1 tablespoon dried mint or 1/4 cups fresh mint, minced
4 Lemons, squeezed
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 potatoes (about 3 cups), diced large
2 vine tomatoes, diced or stuffed with extra rice
1 medium yellow onion, diced large
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Directions:
The first thing to do is prepare your grape leaves, this method is used to make the grape leaves more tender to work with and edible after cooking:
A. If the grape leaves are in a jar. Strain any excess liquid. Then boil a small pot of water, prepare a sieve with a plates under and a skimmer (large spoon with holes). Bring water pot down to a simmer. Get a few bunches of grape leaves (about 10) and place the batches one at a time in hot water bath. Remove and place batches in strainer. Let cool.
B. If the grape leaves are freshly picked from a vine. Remove the stem of the leaf completely with a knife or scissors. Then preform the same steps as A. If you are not planning on using the grape leaves for the next 1-2 days. Place them after boiling in a jar. Then place in the fridge up to a week or the freezer for a a few months.
Mincing the filling:
1. Wash rice, and strain. Place to the side.
2. Finely mince parsley, green onions, tomatoes, (and mint if using fresh). Place all mince is a bowl, and add the rice on top. Add olive oil, salt, dry mint, and 3 lemons into the mixture. Mix well and let it sit for 10 min.
3. You will have to reserve the mixture liquid as the sauce for the pot later. So, strain the liquid from the bowl into a smaller bowl using a sieve. Place to the side.
Rolling the grape leaves:
Photo Credits to @nutrizonia
1. Place a few leaves on a tray, then with a spoon or your finger place about 1 tsp of the veggie and rice mixture onto the bottom of the leaf. Bring the bottom of the leaf over the mixture, then fold the sides in, and roll. Stack your roll to the side on another plate.
Preparing your base vegetables and the pot:
Once you have finished rolling, if there is any excess liquid sauce left with the rice mixture then add to the other sauce bowl strained previously.
1. If you have rice left, then use the rice as stuffing in the tomato. Cut the top half of the tomato, then scoop out the seeds and liquid of the tomato with a spoon. Stuff the tomato with the remaining rice. put the top of the tomato back on.
2. Peel, wash and dice your potatoes into about 2 inch cubes.
3. Peel and dice your onion into large cubes.
4. Saute, potatoes and onion in a large pot with cooking oil. You want to half cook them about 5 min on medium heat.
Stacking and cooking the grape leaves:
1. Keep the saute onion and potato in the pot. Now place the stuffed tomato into the middle of the pot.
2. Stack your grape leaves tightly together by going around the tomato in a circle.
Credit: Feel Good Foodie. Like this:
3. Once stacked, add the reserve sauce with 1 tsp salt, 1 lemon juice and 2 cups of water on to the grape leaves slowly.
4. Place a plate over the grape leaves and add a weighted jar with water on top of the plate. Like this:
5. If the sauce has not reached the top of the grape leaves even after the added plate and weight. Then add water until it reaches the top of the grape leaves.
6. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower down the heat to a simmer. And cook for 45 min. with no lid. The dish is done when the rice in the top grape leaves are cooked.
7. Remove added water weight and plate carefully. Then let the pot of grape leaves come to room temperature. Remove the grape leaves and place in a serving tray, add saute vegetables and sauce on top.
Enjoy and Sahteen!
Questions? Let me know.
