How to Make Grape Leaves with Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 400 g stuffed or fresh grape leaves
• 3/4 cup Egyptian rice, short-grain rice
• 1 bunch parsley, washed and finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked, washed, and finely chopped
• 2 green onions
• 1 onion
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 potatoes for the bottom of the pot
• carrots for the bottom of the pot - optional
• 3 lemons
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the parsley and mint after cleaning and picking the mint leaves. Drain them and chop them very finely.
2. Finely chop the green onion, onion, and tomatoes, then add them to the filling.
3. Add the Egyptian rice after washing it (without soaking) and draining it.
4. Season the filling with salt, lemon juice (at least 3 lemons, حسب الرغبة), and olive oil, then mix well.
5. Start rolling the grape leaves. If they are fresh, they must be blanched for 2 minutes first, then drained. If they are preserved, rinse them with clean water and drain.
   Timers: 2 min
6. After finishing the rolling, set aside the filling liquid.
7. Peel the potatoes and carrots, wash them, and cut them into slices or rounds. Arrange them on the bottom of the pot, then arrange the rolls on top.
8. Add water or the cooking liquid from the filling that we set aside (and if it is much lower than the level of the leaves, you can add a little water with lemon juice and oil) over the leaves in the pot, and place a plate on top to press the leaves so they do not unravel while boiling.
9. Place a weight on the plate if needed, and wait until the broth in the pot comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat very low, remove the weight from the plate, cover the pot, and leave the grape leaves with olive oil to cook for 2 and a half hours over low heat.
10. After the leaves are cooked, drain any remaining broth from the pot and turn it over, or remove the leaves one by one after they cool.
11. Let the grape leaves with olive oil cool completely before serving, and they can also be served cold from the refrigerator.
12. Grape leaves with olive oil from our friend What Are You Cooking Today