Yaprakia Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipes

YAPRAKES FINOS (SEPHARDIC STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Stuffing: Peel, seed, and chop tomatoes. Set aside.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. If desired, add the pine nuts and sauté until golden. Add the rice and sauté until well coated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the water, tomatoes, parsley, salt, sugar, pepper, and, if desired, currants. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool.If using preserved leaves: unroll, rinse under cold water, then soak in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. If using fresh grape leaves: blanch in boiling lightly salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Carefully cut off the stems. Place the leaves on a flat surface, shiny side down and vein side up.On large leaves place about 1 Tablespoon stuffing and on smaller leaves a heaping teaspoon near the stem end. Carefully fold the leaf from the stem end to cover the filling. Fold the sides over, then roll up the leaf to make a neat package.Cover the bottom of a baking dish or heavy pot with any extra leaves. Arrange the rolls, seam side down, in layers in the prepared dish.To Make the Sauce: Combine the water, lemon juice, oil, garlic, sugar, and salt and pour over the stuffed grape leaves to cover. Weigh down the rolls with a heavy plate. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool.

YAPRAKIA (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• In a bowl mix the ground beef, uncooked rice, onion, 3/4 cup chicken broth, juice of 1 lemon, dill, salt and pepper.
• To blanchthe leaves place them in boiling water for a few seconds then put them in a colander to drain.
• Lay 1 leaf vein side up, place 1 tsp of mixture close to the stem. Next fold the sides in and roll upwards.(If the mixture begins to dry just add more chicken stock)
• Optional: Line the bottom of a stock pot with a few leaves.
• Start to place the rolled grape leaves tightly together in a circular pattern at the bottom of the stockpot. Continue until all of the leaves have been filled and placed in the pot.
• Add in 2 cups of chicken broth and the juice from ½ of a lemon. Then place the squeezed lemon in the pot as well.
• Cover with extra leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
• Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil
• Once boiling immediately reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is soft.
• Before serving add a squeeze of lemon juice on top of cooked yaprakia.

YAPRACH (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES)

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients except for the grape leaves together in a large bowl.
• Rinse the grape leaves well in hot water and leave them in a bowl of hot water while you work with each one individually.
• Place one leaf on your working surface, smooth side down.
• Take one teaspoon of rice filling (measure according to the size of the leaf) and place it in a finger shape in the middle of the leaf.
• Roll the outer edges towards but not quite reaching the middle.
• Roll from the bottom towards the top into a cigar shape and place in a large pot.
• Continue until all the leaves and filling has been used up, placed the filled leaves in the pot in a circular fashion, one level on top of another.
• Add water until slightly covering the leaf layers.
• Add a few drops of oil, a pinch of pepper and citric acid and 1/2 tablespoon of tomato paste to the water.
• Boil covered until all the water has been absorbed.
• Remove from heat.
• Place a kitchen towel between the pot and cover, cover well and return to a small flame.
• Cook for an additional 1/2 hour.
• Serve hot or cold.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.