Stuffed Grape Leaves with Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups chopped parsley
• 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion or dried onion
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• Salt to taste
• Hot chili powder to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon
• Olive oil to taste
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• Green grape leaves, boiled for a few minutes in boiling water, or pickled grape leaves
• Potato and carrot slices, plus green fava beans, for the bottom of the pot
• Also from Dalida's wonderful recipes, here is Baalbek-style sfiha

Method

1. Combine all the chopped vegetables, add the spices, lemon, oil, and salt, and mix.
2. Strain the stuffed grape-leaf filling and reserve the liquid to add later over the cooking pot after rolling the leaves.
3. Roll the grape leaves by placing a portion of filling on each leaf and closing it into a roll, folding the edges in toward the center.
4. In the cooking pot, arrange pieces of potato, carrot, and whole green beans to cover the bottom so the leaves do not stick.
5. Arrange the stuffed grape leaves with olive oil in the pot, then drizzle olive oil over the top.
6. Season the reserved filling liquid with salt to taste and pour this liquid over the pot of stuffed grape leaves — you may add plain water if the filling liquid is insufficient; the important thing is to cover the leaves completely with liquid.
7. Place a plate on top and add a weight to press the leaves down so they do not open while boiling.
8. Cook the stuffed grape leaves over high heat for half an hour, then reduce the heat significantly and continue cooking for an hour and a half, or according to the toughness of the leaves.
9. Serve the stuffed grape leaves with olive oil cold at room temperature or from the refrigerator with lemon (for those who like extra).
10. Dalida Zaiter
11. Also from Dalida's wonderful recipes, here is the Baalbek-style Sfiha