Stuffed Grape Leaves with Olive Oil

Ingredients

• Parsley
• One-quarter the amount of parsley in fresh mint
• A few stalks of green onions
• Tomatoes - depending on the amount of parsley
• Egyptian rice (1/4 cup or 1/2 cup, or as needed)
• Plenty of lemon juice, or to taste
• Salt
• Seven-spice
• Paprika
• Pomegranate molasses
• Olive oil
• Fresh grape leaves or preserved grape leaves
• For the pot base:
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Carrot - optional
• For more from Wotfa, here is Homemade Pizza Dough

Method

1. Soak the vegetables for a few minutes in water with salt or vinegar to help release any sand.
2. Wash them well several times to completely remove the sand.
3. Drain them well, then chop them coarsely.
4. Mix the chopped vegetables with the tomatoes cut into small cubes, then add the remaining ingredients: rice, lemon juice, oil, spices, salt, and pomegranate molasses. Mix well.
5. Soak the fresh grape leaves in boiling water for about 15 minutes. If using preserved leaves, soak them for about 30 minutes.
   Timers: 15 min, 30 min
6. Rinse the grape leaves and drain them, then begin rolling.
7. Place a few leaves in the bottom of the pot, then arrange slices of potato, carrot, onion, and tomato, and layer the grape leaves on top.
8. Add a little lemon juice and olive oil over the leaves, then place a plate and a heavy object on top.
9. Cover the grape leaves with water until it reaches the level of the heavy object, then let the water come to a boil.
10. After boiling, reduce the heat... and let the stuffed grape leaves with olive oil cook over low heat for about an hour before removing the heavy object.
11. Cover the pot, then leave them again over low heat until fully cooked, making sure to keep the pot covered to preserve their green color.
12. Turn off the heat and let the grape leaves cool before turning the pot out and serving the stuffed grape leaves with olive oil.