Grape Leaves Egyptian Version Recipes

GRAPE LEAVES ALEPPO

Steps:

• Soak rice in cold water, and drain. In a large bowl, mix together the ground lamb, rice, allspice, salt and pepper until well blended. Place about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture onto the center of each leaf. Fold the leaf over once, turn in the edges on each side, and then roll the leaf closed.
• Stack the leaf-rolls in a large pot, covering each layer with slices of garlic. Add just enough water to cover the rolls, then pour in the lemon juice. Add the olives to the pot for flavoring, if desired. Place a plate on top of the rolls to keep them under water.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Taste the rice for doneness. Grape leaves taste even better after sitting for several hours. Serve and enjoy.

EGYPTIAN STYLE STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES (MASHY CRUMP)

Steps:

• Rice stuffing mixture:.
• On top of stove, put a good amount oil or butter; add chopped onion and pureed onion sauté. Add garlic when onions almost finished not to burn.
• Add a spoon of tomato paste and stir around until all coated.
• Add pureed tomato, a few drops of water and cook until liquid is almost gone. It should be a little thick, not too watery. You can add some salt to taste to this too.
• Set aside.
• Put washed rice in mixing bowl. Add the above tomato mixture. Add raw, chopped greens- parsley, dill and cilantro. Its okay to chop some of their stems, gives the mixture more flavor. Add a little canola oil.
• Add all spices and dry mint. Take 1 chicken bouillon cube and crush it, add to rice.
• Mix all ingredients until well blended set aside. Try to taste, will be raw I know, but you can taste and not swallow rice. Adjust seasonings. Salt is most important, if too salty, don't worry, once cooked it will lessen.
• Cooking Cabbage:.
• This is the trickiest part. I have not yet found the perfect way, but my way has been working alright...here it goes.
• Wash the head of cabbage well. With a paring knife, gently cut around core, loosening it a bit. Try to cup deep, but try not to cut leaves, or separate at this point.
• Using a large pot, fill with water, and a few dashes of cumin. Once boiling, add the head of cabbage, with core facing up.
• As the cabbage starts to cook, with a knife, gently pull away leaves from core and cook until a bit soft, but not translucent.
• So you will have the large head of cabbage in pot and you will be cutting leaves and letting them boil alone aside the head. (Hope this makes sense.).
• When the leaves are a bit soft, tender not translucent, remove to a large tray.
• Continue this until all cabbage is cooked.
• You will have the very small leaves towards inside core, you will be able to use some of these, but some maybe too small. I usually make a cabbage salad with these.
• Once the leaves are cool, you will begin to stuff.
• Rolling/stuffing the cabbage:.
• Prepare a large pot, put some oil in bottom of pot to coat.
• Slice 1 large tomato thinly and place on bottom of pot. You will arrange cabbage in this pot as you roll.
• Take a cabbage leaf and cut from the bottom, where core starts.
• Cut away the hard core and reserve the two sides from leaf making a pile.
• Save a few of the cores stems as well.
• Tricky but you are trying to get a pliable leaf for rolling.
• You want to make the leaf small, cutting a half of the leaf in half. The end result should be size of small cigar.
• Don't worry about how they look, they will not be real tight and they may seem like the rice will come out, just close as best you can, they will be fine.
• So with leaf laying flat, spoon a small amount of rice onto leaf, fold up bottom and roll like a cigar. Don't worry the ends will be open, but cook ok. Some rice may boil out but not much trust me.
• Roll all until leaves are finished.
• Once all rolled and arranged in pot, add a crushed chicken bouillon cube. As you are arranging in pot, you can put a few of the core stems in between layers to help stay in place.
• Take approximately 3 cups water and mix with tomato paste, pour over cabbage. Water should reach just above cabbage. If not enough, add more water.
• Take an old plate, invert it over cabbage to keep from moving too much.
• Put on high, bring to a boil, cook for about 10 minutes, then turn to a lower simmer and cover.
• Should cook for approximately an hour or so, you can check it periodically by tasting to see if rice is cooked inside.
• Once cooked let sit for a little to cool a bit before removing from pot.
• When ready to remove, take a large serving platter, put over top of pot, then flip pot to empty onto platter. Be careful and do over sink if you are unsure. Its easy but take s a little practice.
• Remove core stems, fix tomatoes that are on top, to look presentable.
• *** LEFTOVER TIP: THE NEXT DAY PREPARE THE LEFTOVERS THIS WAY -- PUT SOME BUTTER INTO A PAN, FRY THE STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON ALL SIDES. SUPER TASTY, ENJOY! ***.

GRAPE LEAVES (EGYPTIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a bowl (hands work the best).
• Roll or shape a small amount of meat mixture into a log shape (about the diameter of an index finger.
• Take one grape leaf and lay flat.
• Place the meat roll about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom in the middle of the leaf.
• Roll the bottom of the leaf up around the meat. Fold the left and right sides in over the roll and fold under. Continue to roll up the rest of the leaf.
• Place all of your stuffed grape leaves tightly packed together in a 9 x 13" pan.
• Cover with just enough water to meat the level of the grape leaves.
• Add olive oil and lemon juice to the water and gently stire.
• Bring to a light boil either on top of the stove or in your oven and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold.