Directions: |
Directions:Wash parsley, onion and tomato and chop very fine.
Put rice in bowl. Add onion, red pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well. Then, add tomatoes, parsley and mint. Mix well. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well.
The grape leaves can be prepped in advance. If you have a grape vine and are picking your own, you should remove the stem from each leaf and layer them together. Wrap them in tin foil and freeze for future use. Or, if you plan on using them after picking, you can layer them together and place in a bowl. Pour boiling water on them and let sit for one minute. Then you can separate them and begin the stuffing and rolling process.
Lay each grape leaf individually on a flat surface. Add a small spoonful of the stuffing to the center. Tuck in the sides. Bring the bottom end of the leaf up to cover the stuffing. Roll tightly to form finger shaped tubes. Squeeze each stuffed grape leaf to remove some of the liquid and prevent breakage during the cooking process.
Layer the sliced onion in a pot. Layer grape leaves on top of the onion. Pack them tightly to prevent splitting during the cooking process. Add enough water to cover the grape leaves. Add salt. Place a plate on top of the leaves. This will also help prevent them from splitting. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for approximately 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Let sit for an hour or so. When ready to serve, put serving plate on top of the pot. Place your hand on top of the plate to secure it and flip the pot over. The grape leaves should land on the plate in a presentable form. I recommend that you do this on top of the sink because some of the liquid from the pan will drip out during the flipping process. |
This recipe for Warak Areesh (Stuffed Grape Leaves) is from