Servings: 0
INGREDIENTS
- 50-60 grape leaves, stems removed
- Enough of your favorite tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- ½ lemon, thin peel, thinly sliced and, cut into small pieces
Filling:
- 1.1 pounds/500 grams round rice
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 cup mint, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- 20 cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves
- 1 teaspoon Baharat spice blend
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 large lemons, juiced
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Sauce:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon date syrup
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Lay the tomato slices at the bottom of a wide, oven-safe pan or round baking dish.
- Blanch the grape leaves in boiling water for a few minutes until their color changes. Remove and dry on a paper towel. (You can also freeze the grape leaves in a bag and thaw them, which gives the same result as blanching without needing to boil them.)
- Lay a grape leaf with the veined side up and the smooth side down. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center and roll tightly as shown in the video. Arrange the rolled leaves neatly and tightly in the pan, starting from the outer edge and working inward in concentric circles until the pan is full.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Mix all sauce ingredients except the coarse salt in a bowl using a whisk until emulsified. Pour evenly over the stuffed grape leaves. Add water until it covers the leaves by 0.4 inches (1 cm). Sprinkle coarse salt, garlic, and lemon slices on top.
- Moisten a piece of parchment paper, squeeze it, and press it over the grape leaves. Cover with aluminum foil to seal the pan.
- Bake for one hour.
- Carefully remove the cover and check if the liquid has evaporated; if so, add water carefully. Increase the oven temperature to 390°F (200°C), drizzle a bit of date syrup over the top, and return to the oven for about 20 minutes to caramelize and char the leaves.
- Check one grape leaf for doneness, being careful not to burn the leaves.