Olive-Oil-Braised Rice-Stuffed Grape Leaves
Grape leaves rolled around fragrant rice with pine nuts, currants, mint, allspice, and cinnamon.
By Moow Editorial ·
- Choose tender, lightly veined leaves when possible.
- Soak and rinse the currants to remove grit, and roll the leaves small and tight so they hold together.
At a glance
Read through the method once, then prep the ingredients in the order listed.
- Yield: About 50 grape leaves (8 appetizer servings)
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: 45–50 minutes
For the most consistent result, use the listed weights when available; household measures are rounded.
Estimated nutrition per serving
Serving basis: One serving from the final reviewed yield of About 50 grape leaves (8 appetizer servings).
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Protein: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fat: 20 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
Estimated from the listed ingredients and serving yield using USDA FoodData Central. Actual values vary with brands, substitutions, cooking losses, oil absorption, and portion size.
Grape Leaves
Have these measured and ready before you begin.
- 300 g grape leaves (10.6 oz; fresh or brined)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- about 1 1/4 U.S. cups (300 ml) hot water
Rice Filling
- about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) olive oil
- 3 medium onions, grated
- about 1 1/4 U.S. cups (300 ml by volume) rice
- about 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 ml) hot water
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon dried currants
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. If using brined leaves, rinse well, blanch for 2-3 minutes, and rinse again; reserve a few leaves for the pot.
2. Heat the filling oil and sauté the grated onions, then add the pine nuts and rice and cook until the rice looks translucent.
3. Add the currants, salt, black pepper, mint, allspice, cinnamon, and 200 ml hot water; cook over low heat for 5 minutes and cool slightly.
4. Place each leaf vein-side up, add about 2 teaspoons filling, fold in the sides, and roll tightly.
5. Line a pot with reserved leaves and arrange the rolls snugly in rows.
6. Top with lemon and a heatproof plate, add the hot water and oil, and simmer very gently for 45–50 minutes, until the rice is tender.
7. Serve warm or cold with lemon.
Sources
Contains pine nuts. Keep the plate and pot stable while hot, and refrigerate cooked rice-filled leaves within 2 hours.