As hobby chefs, we love experimenting in the kitchen and always trying out new dishes. After all, eating the same thing every week gets pretty boring after a while, right? Super delicious, very variable and full of flavors - stuffed grape leaves are a real classic from Greek and Turkish cuisine and are now also very popular here. Of course, it's much easier to buy a can of ready-made grape leaves from the store, but unfortunately the filling doesn't look very appetizing. And since homemade food always tastes best, we have put together the most delicious recipes for stuffed grape leaves for you. Whether vegetarian with rice, with minced meat, feta or even as a snack - these little delicacies taste simply excellent both as a starter and as a main course!
stuffed eggplant,delicious tomato recipesor fluffy onesZucchini pancakes– summer cuisine is anything but boring, right? Stuffed grape leaves are also a must on the table in the summer months and are an integral part of Greek and Turkish cuisine. Traditionally, the small delicacies are prepared either vegetarian with rice or with a minced meat mixture and enriched with aromatic spices and herbs. Of course, you can experiment with the filling and use other ingredients to create your own delicious work of art. Today, however, we'll focus on the classic version of stuffed grape leaves with yogurt sauce.
Ingredients for 24 grape leaves:
- 24 pickled grape leaves
- 1 medium onion
- 400 grams of ground beef
- 100 grams of long-grain rice
- Some fresh mint
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 500 ml boiling water
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Yoghurt sauce:
- 500 grams of Greek yogurt
- 200 grams of sour cream
- The juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Prepare the filling
The first step for stuffed grape leaves with minced meat and rice is to prepare the filling.
- Chop the onions finely.
- Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the minced meat and tomato paste and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly
- Add the rice and water to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let the rice cook until al dente for 4-5 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper and mint and let the mixture cool slightly.
In our recipe this is pre-cooked first, but in some variations the grape leaves are stuffed with the raw mixture. Simply mix all the ingredients with your hands in a large bowl to form a homogeneous mass and fill the grape leaves with it.
Stuff and cook grape leaves
After you've made the filling, it's time to roll and cook the grape leaves.
- Rinse the grape leaves with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Cut off the thick stems and place the grape leaves individually on a cutting board with the rough sauce.
- Take about 1 tablespoon of the minced meat mixture and spread it horizontally in the middle.
- Now carefully fold the bottom end upwards.
- Then fold the left end to the right and the right to the left.
- Roll up the grape leaf starting from the bottom.
- Since the rice will expand a little while cooking and the stuffed grape leaves could burst, you should not roll them up too tightly.
- Place the grape leaves in a circle, layer by layer, in a large pot and cover with tomato slices.
- Place a plate on top and fill the pot up to the last row with hot water.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
Serve stuffed grape leaves with lemon sauce
Finally, stir the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until smooth and serve the stuffed grape leaves with it. Add a glass of white wine and enjoy! The small delicacies can be enjoyed both cold and warm and are therefore perfect for a delicious lunch for the office. And if you want to prepare the vegetarian version of stuffed grape leaves in Greek, simply leave out the minced meat.
Vegetarian stuffed grape leaves with rice and dried apricots
As already mentioned, are classicStuffed grape leaves vegetarianPrepare with rice or rice and minced meat. However, the recipes are super customizable, giving us enough scope to experiment. If you love the combination of sweet and salty, then you should definitely remember this recipe for grape leaves stuffed with rice and dried apricots.
Ingredients:
- 400 grams of pickled grape leaves
- 200 grams of rice
- 150 grams dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 150 grams of feta
- 60 grams walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- The grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon each of fresh dill and parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Rinse grape leaves with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and rice, stir and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and finish cooking the rice. Drain and let cool.
- Add dried apricots, walnuts and herbs and mix well.
- Fold in the feta and season with salt and pepper.
- Fill the grape leaves with about 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll up tightly.
- Garnish with a lemon sauce if desired and serve.
- And voilà – stuffed grape leaves can be prepared vegetarian in such a delicious and versatile way!
Grape leaf casserole
Do you love stuffed grape leaves but don't have the time to roll them up and cook them for hours? Then we have the perfect solution for you! Just as delicious, but much quicker and easier to prepare - this grape leaf casserole is guaranteed to be the whole family's new favorite, we promise!
Ingredients for 8 servings:
- 30 pickled grape leaves
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 350 grams of whole grain rice
- 450 ml canned diced tomatoes
- 120 grams of raisins or dried currants
- 100 grams of pistachios, peeled and chopped
- 40 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons each of fresh mint and parsley
- Olive oil for frying
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the rice, stir and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in diced tomatoes, raisins, pistachios, lemon juice and herbs.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a baking dish with a little olive oil or butter.
- Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with grape leaves and spread half of the rice mixture on top.
- Top with grape leaves and pour the remaining mixture on top.
- Finally, spread the remaining grape leaves on top and brush with olive oil.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, let cool slightly and your grape leaf casserole is ready!
