About the Recipe
This recipe is very special to me. It comes from my late mother-in-law, who was an incredible chef, and I was so lucky to learn so much from her.
These stuffed grape leaves are cooked in the most delicious lemon, mint and garlic sauce. They’re perfect for holidays, Shabbat or anytime you’re hosting. Best of all, you can make them ahead of time and freeze them.
One jar of grape leaves makes about 80 stuffed grape leaves. It may sound like a lot, but trust me, they go FAST!
Ingredients
For the Filling:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup raw basmati rice, rinsed well
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup oil
For the Sauce:
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons consommé
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 cups hot water
For the Pot:
• 1 jar grape leaves, rinsed and drained
• 1 onion, sliced into rounds
Preparation
Directions:
Add all the filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Rinse the grape leaves thoroughly and drain well.
Lay one grape leaf flat, vein side up, with the stem end closest to you. Place a small amount of filling near the bottom center of the leaf.
Fold the bottom flap up over the filling. Fold the right side inward, followed by the left side, then roll tightly away from you to form a small stuffed grape leaf. Continue until all the filling is used.
Arrange the onion rounds in an even layer across the bottom of a large pot. Place the stuffed grape leaves snugly on top, seam side down, arranging them closely together in layers.
To prepare the sauce, combine the garlic, salt, consommé, lemon juice, dried mint, oil and hot water in a bowl. Mix well, then pour evenly over the grape leaves. I like to add some peeled lemon slices over the grape leaves.
Place a heat-safe plate directly on top of the grape leaves to weigh them down and keep them from moving while they cook.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low to medium-low. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the grape leaves are tender and the filling is fully cooked.
Serve them straight from the pot, or for a beautiful presentation, carefully flip the entire pot onto a large serving platter.
Place a platter larger than the pot securely over the top. Hold both tightly together and carefully flip in one motion. Slowly lift the pot to reveal the grape leaves and caramelized onions.