Back in my hometown!
Traffic as crazy as ever; crossing the streets an exercise in bravery, due diligence and plain unconsciousness ; one is not even safe on the sidewalk since scooters even hop on at their convenience and when you thought you had (narrowly) escaped sudden and painful death you find yourself in a head-on near- collision with a (charming) pizza delivery man whizzing by.
NOTE: If you wish to make grape leaves, I strongly urge you to get fresh ones (right now they are available at middle-eastern stores); if you persist in using canned ones, don’t complain to me about the fact that they turned out stringy and rubbery. You can use swiss chard leaves; for the recipe, click here
- 1/2 pound of grape leaves or swiss chard leaves
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 very large onion, chopped fine
- 1 cup of coarse bulgur #4 or #3
- 2 cups of cooked chick peas
- 1 bunch of parsley, leaves chopped fine
- 3 Large tomatoes, peeled and chopped fine
- 1/2 bunch of chopped mint leaves (or a few tablespoons of dried ones)
- 2 Tablespoons of hot red Aleppo pepper (optional) or hot pepper paste
- salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, to taste
- 2 potatoes (to line the pot, optional)
METHOD:
- Prepare the grape leaves by throwing them in a lot of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then draining them and setting them aside.
- Pour some hot water over the bulgur and let the grains swell up while you prepare the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
- Place all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl, season and add the drained bulgur. Moisten with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, leaving the rest to go into the pot while the leaves are cooking.
- Start wrapping the leaves; play some music, if you like, because it will take about 45 minutes.
- Cut the potatoes in 1/2 inch slices and line the pan with them; this is extra insurance, to avoid burning the leaves, but it is not absolutely necessary. You can also use tomatoes to line the pot.
To cook the leaves:
- After lining the pot (or not), place the little bundles tightly side-by-side; cover the leaves with a small plate snugly; add water halfway up the pot and pour the lemon juice and olive oil and a dash of salt on top of the leaves. Cover the pot and bring to a slow simmer; simmer for one hour or a bit longer, until the leaves are fully cooked. Cool.
- To serve, flip the pot onto a serving platter and serve at room temperature.
77 Comments
Welcome home, comforting chaos and all! I pick and jar my own leaves…never will buy the jarred variety again!
Must try adding some chickpeas in the mix next time.
You must be so excited to be back in your hometown! Your tip on using fresh grape leaves is so true! Canned just aren’t the same. Yours look absolutely perfect!
These look fantastic. Assuming I can find the fresh vine leaves I’ll give these a go this weekend. Take care. Reena
You’re sending us the grape leaves from Beirut to our table at no time, this is a sure party pleaser even healthier with bulgur and chick peas, my girl friend adds walnuts in hers for an extra crunch. this is a great way to get the veggies and starch all in one dish.
Joumana, you traveled thousands of miles to visit your ancestral homeland to your awaiting family,I enjoy the warm atmosphere and the reception with your family and friends.
I love stuffed leaves but I have to admin that I buy them on a market if only this Greek merchant comes.
Never tried to make my own, I think mostly due to the lack of wine leaves. Beautiful Joumana! Have a great time back home.
Welcome HOME!
I have NEVER had fresh leaves… use the brined ones all of the time… and actually love the flavour of them in Greek Dolmades (probably because I don’t know any better). I am going to Bosna this summer and Vanja’s mom grows grapes there. Have you ever picked your own? Do I just pick the smaller ones, or the bigger ones? I would LOVE to try the fresh leaves when I get there. Every single one of your recipes makes me want to stop in my tracks for the day – go and get the ingredients – and make the dish. I am beginning to wonder if I will live long enough.:) I will sure enjoy trying!
I have no idea what KIND of grapes she has. Does it matter?
How long are you home for? How long have you been away? Yes, I am snoopy! You are such an international gal…
Take us on some market tours!
Valerie
Wow I never realized there was a vegetarian version of what I know as Dolma (how is it called in your language?)!! Those grape leaves always look so appetizing, but I don’t eat meat. The next step is to find grape leaves in Riga, hehe. BTW thank you for your tip on food shopping online, somehow I’ve never tried this before… I plan to look out for some shredded phyllo online!
J’aime beaucoup les feuilles de vigne farcies!
Les tiennes doivent etre très savoureuses!
I love the foods that wrapped in leaves, that smell fragrant. Using the fresh ones is the best.
Dolmades as we call them in Greece are my favorite, especially during summer. I like them with rice and herbs. We make them also with ground meat and rice. This is another version that is definitely worth testing. I ‘ll put it in my recipes. Have a nice time in your homeland.
That filling is wonderful! Two of my favorite ingredients.
Cheers,
Rosa
very different recipe but looks good
Joumana…you’re on vacation and you’re still feeding us!!!
Don’t you take a break ever?
Great recipe and looking forward to all the great photos and experiences you’ll be sharing with us.
Try to get some great vacation moments not to burn yourself out ;o)
Flavourful wishes, Claudia
always fascinated by this recipe, but never had the occasion to test it!!!!
j’ose pas cuire ou manger des feuilles…lol
merci pour le partage! et bonnes vacances à Beirut!
bisous, enjooooooy
Délicieux. J’ai eu la chance de manger des feuilles de vigne “fraiches”.
A bientôt.
Love it-Thanks for the subing swiss chard option! Be safe over there and have FUN!
I will have to try these with swiss chard leaves. There’s no middle eastern store in my little town! But lots of swiss chard. Tell us more about your journey!
Valerie
I love your questions and suggestions: I am going to the farmers’ market this Saturday; will show you what foodies in Beirut eat!
Also, we have wild and planted grape leaves in our mountain home and use the fresh ones always; there is a difference of night and day between fresh and canned; the fresh ones should be picked when young and tender and small; they will in turn when cooked (blanched first of course) literally melt in your mouth! Swiss chard leaves are used in Lebanon in lieu of grapes when the grapes are too old and toughl they also will melt in your mouth so they are a great alternative that I use all the time. I would love to hear from you in Bosnia how your grape leaves (and the rest of the trip) turns out and how the Bosnians use their grape leaves. In the mountain, they also make verjuice with the juice of sour grapes, to use in salad dressing.
I will be in Beirut for a few weeks and then we are escaping into the mountain home and welcoming a slew of visitors from Europe, all relatives.
I may stay in Lebanon for a few months; my plans are flexible. I will keep you posted! XOX Joumana
I wish I could just grab a few of these wrap off the screen…yummy filling!
What an excellent dish… we stuff grape leaves in Greece too and generally I make them with bulgur and some other grains as well, BUT the addition of chickpeas is two thumbs up!! Well done… I wished I had one now…
I love stuffed grape leaves and this one sounds terrific with chick-peas. Great step by step photos of folding the grape leaves.
This dish is new to me…looks fantastic..thanks for sharing this with us!
These stuffed grape leaves look so appealing! I love it!
Loved the movement-saturated “snapshot” you gave us of a Beirut street, and remembering that wonderful feeling of being home again, and yet startled. Makes me dream.
I have grapes just outside my front door, never bothered to use the leaves. Hmm. I may be missing out on something…
My father in law is leaving town and his grapes for a month – I wonder if he’s going to notice his “bald” grapes when he gets back. Ha. I’ll be making these while he’s gone – they look delicious!
What a gorgeous dish all the way around. Great flavors and lovely presentation.
They look like little cigars of goodness.
Cheers!
Be careful! Don’t be too busy daydreaming about grape leaves to look where you’re going
Great recipe, especially with the chick peas.
I love the meatless version of grape leaves stuffing. We also add Tahini sauce with lemon and garlic when serving. Have fun in Beirut!!!
Oh so canned leaves are a no-go? Darn…they are so much easier to find! I guess I’ll just have to invite myself over to your kitchen!
Salut Joumana, je me demandais justement si tu étais bien arrivée…Oh je t’envie d’être partie loin, je ne connais pas le Liban, j’ai pas mal d’amis libanais parcontre. Quelle chance tu as, je veux voir les photos des marchés stp! Alors ces feuilles de vignes, je ne les ai jamais vu fraîches, toujours en bocal. Tu sais, à SF, on a beaucoup de magasins et épiceries asiatiques et mexicaines, Indiennes à Berkeley mais pas du tout orientales, c’est bien dommage! Même chez mon épicier Grec, pas de feuilles de vignes fraîches, la prochaine fois que je me trouve a Napa, je vais m’arrêter sur le bord de la route pour “voler” quelques feuilles des vignes. Superbe recette végétarienne, j’adore l’idée de la farce aux pois chiches et du boulghour, enfin ca fait bien rêver tout ca…passe de superbes vacances et je veux voir plein de photos!
delightful filling, joumana! i’ve never worked with grape leaves, but i’ll be sure to take your advice and steer clear of the canned ones.
LOVE that last pic! Mouthwatering!
Those look and sound delightful! Can’t wait to hear more about your adventures!
Hi Joumana, hope u r having good time in your fav. city….so is this just a trip or u have finally moved(if i’m not wrong few months back u were talking about moving back to beirut)……thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe….love that platter…
Welcome home, Joumana! Glad you made it safe and sound.
I LOVE these delicious little bundles. 
I don’t have grape leaves but I DO have swiss chard. I’m so glad you noted that I could use those instead. 
My favorite snack:) These look just outstanding. I must save this as I have eaten a plenty, but never prepared for myself. Wonderful!
I’m glad you arrived safely. Enjoy the your time with family. The stuffed grape leaves looks delicious.
Mimi
I had these once, years ago and they were just awful. Prepared by someone who had no idea what they were doing….bland…mushy…and I know for sure odd flavored canned leaves. Thanks for reminding me with these beautiful photos that I need to give it another chance! Looks so yummy!
By the way, guess what? We just got our first Lebanese restaurant in Kansas City! http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2010/06/now_open_village_restaurant.php#more
This is such a great recipe! I will try it out for sure!
These are a great idea! I like the idea of using bulghur. when I buy a bag I find that it takes a while to use it all up on tabouli so this is a nice idea!
Wow, you only missed one day of blogging! You are a BLOGGING DYNAMO! And I have to tell you, I am so excited by this recipe with the chard leaves. I’ve never heard of using chard. And the filling looks right up my alley. In the Turkish cooking class I took in Istanbul, we used lamb, and I’m not a fan of lamb. But I learned how to make them. (I did a blog post using the pics from my class: http://lentilbreakdown.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-post.html). I also make stuffed cabbage and have adapted the beef version to a vegetable one using rice and legumes. Thanks for the chard inspiration. I eat it often, but never thought of using it for grape leaves!
These sound scrumptious! I love the filling with bulgur and chickpeas!
Immediately bookmarked this recipe! I am so addicted to your blog
I might be a bit late with this… but LOVE your new profile pic, so stylish.
Oh I love those leaves!! I used to eat them a lot back in Korea! It is so hard to find them here in CA. I haven’t seen them anywhere. This recipe looks so good.
magnifique recette joumana,moi qui n’a encore jamais gouté la feuille de vigne, je rate des choses, merci pour la recette,gros bisou ma belle.
Welcome back home! I have only eaten these type of wraps once, prepared by an Egyptian friend….very delicious. Your look healthy and delicious.
Your post made me laugh… welcome to lebanon hehe )
Your grape leaves look perfect, love the stuffing!!
Enjoy your vacation
Yes…you are fast in cooking action even on vacation.
….I have not tried stuffed grape leaves before though I have seen them appearing in blogs once in a while. Now….where do I get these leaves…?