Turkish Stuffed Grape Leaves
Ingredients
- About half a kilo of grape leaves
- 2 cups of rice
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- A bit more than half a cup of olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon of mixed pepper and tomato paste
- 1.5 cups grated tomato or canned tomato
- Half a teacup of water
- 1 teaspoon red pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- Half a teaspoon allspice
- Salt
- Half a bunch parsley
- Half a bunch dill
- A handful of fresh mint
- Juice of 1 small lemon
Preparation
First, boil the leaves and set aside.
Chop the onions finely.
Add olive oil and onions to the pot, grate 2 cloves of garlic into it, and sauté until pinkish.
Add the paste and sauté until fragrant.
Add tomato and red pepper powder, cover, and cook for a few minutes.
Add the washed rice.
Stir, cover, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
You can add half a teacup of water to ensure the filling doesn't lose too much moisture.
Remove from heat, add the spices, and mix.
Then add the greens, grated garlic, and lemon juice, and mix well.
Check the salt.
Wrap the leaves as you like.
Arrange the wrapped leaves in a pot and add boiling water up to 1 finger less than the sarma level.
Drizzle with olive oil, place peeled lemon slices on top, and cover with a plate.
Place on the stove to cook.
After boiling, cook on low heat.
Let the cooked sarma rest a bit and enjoy.
