Vine-leaf Parcels

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 (225 g) cans grape leaves, drained (canned or bottled)
• salt
• 1/2 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 fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 300 ml unsweetened orange juice
• 150 ml water

Recipe

• 1 unroll the vine leaves carefully and put them into a bowl of water to remove the preserving liquid.
• 2 pat them dry on absorbent kitchen paper towel.
• 3 you will need about 30 leaves; reserve the remainder.
• 4 bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and stir in the turmeric.
• 5 add the rice and simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
• 6 drain thoroughly and turn into a bowl.
• 7 heat the oil in a small frying pan.
• 8 add the onion to the rice with the apricots, sultanas, spices, mint and lemon juice.
• 9 mix well together.
• 10 take one vine leaf at a time.
• 11 place it flat on the work surface and put a heaped teaspoon of the rice mixture in the centre.
• 12 fold the base of the leaf over the filling, then fold over the first one side, then the other.
• 13 fold over the top to make a neat parcel.
• 14 continue making parcels until you have used up all the filling.
• 15 line a large frying pan with leftover vine leaves.
• 16 arrange the parcels, seam sides down, in a single layer in the pan.
• 17 cover the layer with more leaves, then make a second layer of parcels and cover them with leaves.
• 18 pour on the orange juice and water and cover the pan.
• 19 cook gently over low heat for 1 hour, adding a little boiling water from time to time, if necessary.
• 20 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.
• 21 serve immediately.
• 22 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.
• 23 cover and chill.