Have you been having some hard times preparing stuffed grape leaves? This is no big deal, all you need is some practice, especially if you’re a beginner! And considering the importance of the famous stuffed grape leaves in the Arabic cuisine, learning how to roll grape leaves is a must. So, let’s discover the right way to make this wonderful delicacy with this grape leaves recipe!
Step 1: prepare the leaves
If you are wondering how to prepare the grape leaves, we’ve got you covered with our American Garden grape leaves. This gives this dish a unique brined flavor! They don’t need washing, just separate them and place the soft side down. Leave the bumpy side up for the filling. Spread well and remove the stem, if there are any.
Step 2: choose the stuffing
The stuffed grape leaves’ recipe is versatile; you can either prepare meat stuffed grape leaves as a main course or you can opt for the vegetarian one, without meat such as this recipe, to serve as an appetizer on your mezze table.
Step 3: fill them
Place the filling using a spoon, at the bottom of the leaf, near the stem. Don’t overfill it because the rice grains expand during cooking, so fill the leaf depending on its size.
Step 4: roll all the way up
How to roll the grape leaves is the trickiest part of this whole process. Now that you have got this far, being by folding the lower sides over the filling toward the center. Overlap both sides toward the filling then roll tightly while pressing on the filling to get well shaped grape rolls. Voila! you have just mastered the grape leaf roll!
And now, pack them into layers in a pot and let the cooking start!