Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe (Dolma) -

Name: Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 3 cups Egyptian rice or any short grain rice; 3 cups Hot water; 1/2 cup Chopped Italian parsley; 4-5 cloves Garlic finely chopped; Small onion finely chopped; 1/2 cup Tomato paste; 1/2 cup Oil; 1 tsp. Salt; 1 tsp. Black pepper; 1 tsp. Red pepper; 1 tsp. Citric acid or juice of a lemon; Grape leaves; Onions (optional); Frozen green beans (optional); 1/4 cup Oil

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If you are a big fan of Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves, we totally get you. Often interchangeable as Dolma, once you have a taste of this Middle Eastern delicacy, you cannot have enough of it. This flavor-packed dish fills you with pure joy with every sumptuous bite. No wonder it has been able to make a place in cultures across the world, with Armenia, India, Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Palestine having their own versions of the mouth-watering dish.

If you are craving some Dolma, here is the most effortless recipe for Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves and enjoy the flavors of this amazing Middle Eastern dish!

Perfect Mouthwatering Dish!

Kurdish Dolma Recipe

Kurdish Dolma known as Eprax are stuffed vegetables and grape leaves or Swiss chards. This is an easy way of making Kurdish Eprax without meat. Feel free to add meat of choice to the bottom of the pot, or you can add ground chicken or ground beef to the rice mixture.

When my mother cooks Kurdish Dolmas, she mixes sumac with water and pours it over the Eprax before cooking. Sumac gives Eprax delicious flavor! Feel free to add powder sumac or pomegranate molasses to the mixture.

Tips and Tricks

To make the best Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe, pay attention to these tips and tricks:

It is discouraged to try this recipe with brown rice. Since brown rice requires a lot of time to cook, it always results in a poor outcome.
While rolling, roll the grape leaves tightly with the stuffing but not too tightly, because rice needs room to expand when cooking.
Do not add a lot of stuffing; put a thin layer. Remember that you are putting uncooked rice. If you overstuff the wrap, it would unfold and create a mess.
Do not forget to put Tomato, Potato, or Green beans before putting the wraps. Otherwise, the wraps would burn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to buy grape leaves?

You can find grape leaves in any grocery store (Whole food, Walmart, and Middle Eastern grocery store).You can also find them on Amazon.

Where to buy fresh grape leaves?

You can find Fresh grape leaves in Middle Eastern grocery stores during summer season.

Can I eat grape leaves raw?

Yes, you can eat jarred and fresh grape leaves raw. You can add them to salads, or snack on them.

How to store grape leave jar once opened?

Keep grape leaves in its brine and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

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Ingredients

Egyptian rice or any short grain rice
hot water
chopped Italian parsley
cloves of garlic finely chopped
small onion finely chopped
tomato paste
oil
salt
black pepper
red pepper
citric acid or juice of a lemon
grape leaves
onions (optional)
frozen green beans (optional)
oil

Instructions

Step 1: Preparation of the Ingredients

Before preparing any dish, it is essential to gather all the ingredients and prepare them as required. To prepare the ingredients for Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe, measure 3 cups of Egyptian rice or any short-grain you prefer and rinse it with regular tap water.

Chop ½ cup of Italian Parsley, 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, and a small onion. Please note that you should finely chop these ingredients. You can use a food processor too.

After you have prepared the stuffing ingredients, you can now take out the grape leaves where they are soaked in brine, and rinse them.

Note: If you think that grape leaves are hard, then cook the leaves in boiling water for couple of minutes, and set them up on a plate.

Step 2: Preparation of the Stuffing

Now the easiest part comes. Take a large bowl and then add rinsed short-grain rice that you chose for this stuffing. Put the finely chopped Parsley, onion, and garlic. Put ½ cup oil, ½ cup Tomato paste, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or you can use citric acid too as a substitute), 1 teaspoon red pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix them well with the help of a spatula. If needed, wear hand gloves and mix them with your hand.

Step 3: Filling and Rolling the Grape Leaves

Along with Grape leaves stuffing, we prefer stuffing too some Tomato, Bell Pepper, and Onion to get a different delectable taste.

Onion, Tomato, and Bell Pepper Stuffing

Firstly, cut off a small portion from the top. Then cut a small strip from the right side of the onion body. After that, peel off a large portion from the upper layer and take out the inner peel. Stuff those peels with the prepared filling.

You can do the same with the Tomato and Bell Pepper too. In order to do that, cut the upper round portion of the Bell Pepper and the Tomato and stuff the insides of them with the prepared filling, and put a portion on top of the Bell Pepper and Tomato again.

Note: You can microwave onions for 45 seconds; they will peel off easily.

Step 4: Grape Leave Stuffing

Grape stuffing might get messy if it is not done properly. People do not make this dish frequently because many of them do not know how to do the stuffing. Do not freak out! If Follow these rules, then you will get a superb result.

First, get rid of the stick in the middle with a scissor or knife. Lay down the Grape leaves on a flat surface. Then take 2 tbsp. of the mixture and put it in a straight line. If the Grape Leaves are small, overlap the edges to get a nice straight layer of stuffing. It also ensures that the stuffing does not fall out.

Carefully fold the lower part of the grape leaves, roll the sides in, and tuck it slowly and tightly. There you go!

Step 5: Steam the Dolma

While many people like to line the bottom of the pot with Tomato, we love ours with frozen Green beans. Add 1/4 cup of oil to the pot, frozen green beans, and then line the Onion stuffing above it. Put the Tomato and Bell Pepper upside down so that the stuffing does not come out. After that, line the stuffed grape leaves in the pot. Tightly pack the pot with the stuffing and add 3 cups of hot water to the pot.

If you are not using a pressure cooker for cooking this, put a plate upside down on top of the Grape leaves that hold everything. Cook the leaves uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then cover with a lid, and cook it on low heat for an hour. If you are using a pressure cooker, it will take only 20 to 30 minutes, and you do not need to put a plate above. Just put the lid on.

Your perfect mouthwatering Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves is ready!

Step 6: Serve it

We hope you find our Vegetarian Stuffed Grapes Leaves recipe useful. You can have this dish warm or cold according to your preference. Serve them in a dish with Tomato slices or lemon slices. You can add some lemon juice to add some extra tangy flavor. Happy Cooking!

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