Stuffed Grape Leaves with Meat - Warak Enab
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
2 hrs
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Servings
6 poeple
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Calories
529 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Meat - Warak Enab
Description
This Stuffed Grape Leaves with Meat recipe features vine leaves filled with a spiced mixture of short grain rice, finely diced tomato and onion, fresh parsley, garlic, seven spices, cinnamon, salt, pepper, olive oil, and raw ground lamb. The rice is soaked before mixing, helping achieve a soft interior after cooking.
In addition to the grape leaves, cored zucchini and eggplants are also stuffed with this mixture. The prepared items are simmered alongside lamb chops, sliced tomatoes, sliced potatoes, and a lemon-juice and tomato paste broth. The slow cooking softens the rice and meat filling and tenderizes the vegetables while infusing them with the lemon-tomato flavors.
This hearty dish can be served as a main course. The combination of vine leaves and stuffed vegetables offers varied textures: tender and slightly chewy grape leaves, and soft yet structured zucchini and eggplant. The inclusion of lamb adds richness and depth.
To store leftovers, keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze, cooked or uncooked, for up to 3 months. The recipe can be adapted for vegetarians by omitting lamb and the meat in the rice stuffing.
Ingredients
For the rice stuffing:
- 1.5 cups short grain rice Egyptian
- 1-2 small tomato very finely diced
- 1-2 small onion very finely diced
- 1/4 cup parsley fresh, minced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1.5 teaspoon seven spices or all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 200 g lamb ground
To assemble:
- 1 jar vine leaves 450 g or 1 lb
- 6-8 zucchini cored (koosa
- 2-3 eggplant cored
- 2 tomatoes sliced
- 2 potatoes sliced
- 1 lb lamb chops 1/2 kg, or lamb neck pieces
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 3 lemon juiced
- 2-3 tablespoon tomato paste
- water to cover stuffed grape leaves, or vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
For the rice stuffing:
- Soak the Egyptian rice for 20 minutes or so, then rinse with cold water until water runs clear.
- Place rice in a large bowl and add the tomato, onion, parsley, garlic, spices, and olive oil and stir well to combine. Add the raw minced lamb, and stir to evenly incorporate into the rice mixture. It might be easier to use your hands to work the meat into the rice.
To stuff:
- Place the vine leaves in a bowl of hot water for 3 minutes. This helps them lose a little of the brininess. Drain, and gently separate vine leaves.
- Stuff the cored zucchini and eggplant until 3/4 filled with rice. Use your finger to pack them firmly. Set aside.
- Stuff the vine leaves by placing an individual leaf with the tip pointing upwards, placing a heaped teaspoon of the rice stuffing in the center of the vine leave, folding sides towards the center, then rolling from the bottom upwards, tucking in the sides of the vine leaves as you go. It's like you're making a sandwich wrap. Keep going until you've finished all the stuffing.
To assemble:
- Place a layer of tomatoes at the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Layer your potato slices on top of the tomato. This will keep the vine leaves touching the bottom of the pan from burning, plus they are delicious.
- Season the lamb chops or lamb neck with salt and pepper, and place on top of the potato slices.
- Place the stuffed zucchini and eggplant in a ring around the circumference of the pot, then gently place the stuffed vine leaves in an even layer filling the rest of the pot, like pictured above.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top of the filled pot. Add boiling water to the pot, pouring at the edge of the pot until the water just comes to the top layer of the vine leaves- the top layer shouldn't be submerged. Sprinkle with salt to season. Place a plate on top of the vine leaves to hold them down so the vine leaves don't float around while cooking. Cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and let the fluid in the pot come to a simmer. Simmer for anywhere between 1.5-2.5 hours, or until vine leaves and stuffed vegetables are cooked through and the rice inside is cooked through. Start checking at the 1 hour mark. 15 minutes before you take the pot off the heat, add the lemon juice.
- Once the meal is ready, flip the vine leaves onto a large serving plate carefully, make sure it has higher edges because a lot of broth will come out. Serve immediately and enjoy with some yogurt on the side. These are also very tasty at room temperature or cold!
Notes
- Check doneness after one hour of cooking; the dish is ready once the rice in the grape leaves is soft.
- Various vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and potatoes can be stuffed along with zucchini and eggplant.
- For a vegetarian version, omit lamb chops and exclude lamb from the stuffing mixture.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days or freeze cooked or uncooked versions for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6poeple
Amount Per Serving
Calories 529 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 529kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 55g | 18% |
| Protein | 34g | 68% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 916mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 1363mg | 29% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 682IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 43mg | 48% |
| Calcium | 82mg | 8% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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