Yalanji (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Grape leaves stuffed with rice, herbs, onion, and tomato, cooked until tender and served warm or at room temperature.
Grape leaves are filled with rice, herbs, onion, and tomato, then cooked until tender and served warm or at room temperature.
This is a meatless stuffed-leaf dish with a bright, tangy flavor. Roll the leaves snugly so the filling stays in place.
Ingredients
- 500 g short-grain rice
- 500 g grape leaves
- 1½ cups finely chopped parsley
- ½ bunch fresh mint
- 3 medium onions, finely chopped onion
- 3 tomatoes, finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon Arabic coffee
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon citric acid
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses
- 1½ cups olive oil
- no specific quantity lemon wedges
- mentioned in the transcript without a quantity potatoes
- 2 pieces green peppers
Instructions
- Wash the grape leaves in a bowl, then drain them before using.
- Blanch the grape leaves in a pot of water just once, then leave them to cool.
- Remove the stems from each grape leaf so they are ready for stuffing.
- Place the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion to the pan and stir.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan.
- Add the salt to the pan.
- Add the black pepper to the pan.
- Add the dried mint to the pan.
- Add the sumac to the pan if using.
- Add the citric acid to the pan.
- Add the Arabic coffee to the pan.
- Add the pomegranate molasses to the pan.
- Add the rice to the pan.
- Add the parsley to the pan at the end so it does not darken.
- Add the fresh mint to the pan at the end so it does not darken.
- Mix the filling well in the pan until combined.
- Line a tray with a plastic bag if you will use the tray-rolling method.
- Arrange the stuffed grape leaves in a pressure cooker.
- Pour the olive oil over the yalanji in the pot.