Yaprak dolma
Rice is cooked with tomatoes, a bunch of parsley, onion, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, black pepper, salt, and water in the Isparta version of yaprak dolma. A spoonful of the mixture is spooned onto a vine leaf, folded in half, and rolled into neat little cylinders by hand.
While most street markets sell leaves, the best ones come from a neighbor's tree, which are usually picked at midnight. Yaprak dolma is a type of Turkish Aegean cuisine that includes a pinch of cinnamon as a nod to the Rum people, who are Greeks who were born in Turkey.
Ingredients
- Grape leaves
- Rice
- Onions
- Currants
- Olive Oil
- Tomato paste
- Spices
- Herbs
Instructions
- Make The Filling: To make this easy filling, all you have to do is combine the ingredients in a large bowl, leaving out the grape leaves, ¼ cup olive oil and water.
- Prepare the Grape Leaves: If you have grape leaves in brine, you don’t need to prepare them in any way. Simply wash them with water to remove the excessive salt. If you are using fresh grape leaves, blanch them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them into ice-cold water. Once completely cooled, drain them and set them aside until needed. Once the leaves have been washed or cooked, cut off the stems as close to the leaf as possible
- Stuff The Vine Leaves: Cut off the stems of the leaves. Place a leaf on a cutting board or on a plate, shiny side down. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice filling near the end of the leaf, cover that filling with the top edges.Fold the side edges to the center and roll it up. Arrange the stuffed leaves in rows without leaving any space. Pour water and olive oil over the rolls. Place a heat-proof plate on the top to help the dolmas keep stable when cooking. Let them cook covered over the lowest heat for 45 minutes, or until the rice has completely cooked inside the rolls. Once cooked, remove them from the pot and allow them to cool before serving.
