Vine-Leaf Parcels
- 2 (225 g) cans grape leaves, drained (canned or bottled)
- salt
- 12 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 175 g long grain brown rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g dried apricots, finely chopped
- 50 g sultanas
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon chopped of fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 300 ml unsweetened orange juice
- 150 ml water
- Unroll the vine leaves carefully and put them into a bowl of water to remove the preserving liquid.
- Pat them dry on absorbent kitchen paper towel.
- You will need about 30 leaves; reserve the remainder.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and stir in the turmeric.
- Add the rice and simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
- Drain thoroughly and turn into a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan.
- Add the onion to the rice with the apricots, sultanas, spices, mint and lemon juice.
- Mix well together.
- Take one vine leaf at a time.
- Place it flat on the work surface and put a heaped teaspoon of the rice mixture in the centre.
- Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, then fold over the first one side, then the other.
- Fold over the top to make a neat parcel.
- Continue making parcels until you have used up all the filling.
- Line a large frying pan with leftover vine leaves.
- Arrange the parcels, seam sides down, in a single layer in the pan.
- Cover the layer with more leaves, then make a second layer of parcels and cover them with leaves.
- Pour on the orange juice and water and cover the pan.
- Cook gently over low heat for 1 hour, adding a little boiling water from time to time, if necessary.
- To serve warm, allow the parcels to cool slightly in the pan, then arrange uncooked vine leaves on a flat serving dish and carefully transfer the parcels to the dish.
- Serve immediately.
- To serve cold, allow the parcels to cool completely in the pan, then arrange on top of uncooked vine leaves on a serving dish as above.
- Cover and chill.
grape leaves, salt, ground turmeric, long grain brown rice, vegetable oil, onion, sultanas, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, mint, lemon juice, orange juice, water
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/vine-leaf-parcels-50990 (may not work)