6oz1 heaping cup greens such as kale, blanched, shocked, and finely chopped
½cupfresh dillmint or cilantro
⅓cuprice flour
2Tablespoonsfinely diced preserved or fermented lemons (optional)
Kosher salt and pepperto taste
¼teaspoonBaharat spicepumpkin pie spice, or a mix of cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper
20-30lacto fermented grape leaves
Instructions
Soak the rice
Soak the rice in water for an hour. Then drain.
Make the Stuffing
Sweat the garlic in the oil until golden in the oil, then add the green onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
Toss the garlic and onion with the remaining stuffing ingredients including the soaked rice. Season to taste with salt and mix well (start with ½ teaspoon salt). taste a bit of the filling and check the seasoning, adjust as needed, then mix again. The mixture should be heavily seasoned since it will be served cold.
Rinse the grape leaves in warm water. If your grape leaves are pickled from a store, you may want to soak them for 30 minutes to remove some of the salt and vinegar. Dry the grape leaves.
Stuffing and cooking
Stuff each grape leaf with a tablespoon or so of the stuffing. Roll the grape leaves up loosely as the rice will expand. Line the bottom of a pot with a few extra leaves to prevent the stuffed grape leaves from sticking.
Arrange the stuffed grape leaves on top in a single, tight layer. Pour ½ inch of hot water into the pot. The stuffed leaves should be about ¾ covered with water.
Cover the pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the grape leaves are plumped and the water is absorbed.
Test a grape leaf to make sure the rice is tender. If it isn't, add a splash of water and continue cooking on low heat until they taste good to you.
Serving
Cut the grape leaves into 1 inch rounds and serve as a snack, appetizer, or part of a mezze platter. They’re great with seed sauces like tahini sauce, or the traditional avgolemono sauce made with eggs and lemon juice.
Notes
Using Fresh Grape Leaves
To make this with fresh grape leaves, cook the grape leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, stirring until they wilt. Drain the leaves and cool and proceed per the recipe instructions.