Yaprak is the name of a Turkish dish made from grape leaves, mainly of the sultana grape variety, stuffed with meat (Turkish et, from which derives etli, ‘with meat’). The Turkish word dolma means ‘stuffed’.
Ingredients
- 500 g vine leaves
For the stuffing
- 500 g lamb meat (minced)
- 5 medium onions
- 1 tablespoon of margarine
- 3 tablespoons of rice
- 1 dessert spoon of salt
- 1 dessert spoon of dried mint
- 1 bunch chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large tomato
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
- 1 dessert spoonful of fried tomato sauce
- 1 large tomato
- 1 dessert spoon of salt
- 2 cups of water
- 1 sheet of waxed paper
Preparation
Peel and chop the onions. Melt the margarine and fry the onions. Add the washed and drained rice, salt and pour a glass of water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, and add the minced meat, chopped parsley, dried mint, and the previously washed and chopped tomato. Pour in a glass of water and mix well.
If the grape leaves are in brine, wash them in hot water and leave them in lukewarm water; if they are fresh, put them in boiling water and leave them on a medium heat for two minutes. Drain and separate them from the stems, and then place each leaf on a plate, smooth side down, (if it is too large divide it in two, and if it has thick nerve endings, remove them), place a portion of stuffing (the size of a walnut), on the broad side of the leaf, and begin to fold the two sides over the stuffing, one on top of the other, and roll it towards the tip, (to obtain stuffed leaves the size of a finger). Place them with the tip down, side by side and in a row, and one row on top of the other, until all the stuffed leaves have been arranged.
Melt the margarine in a small saucepan, add the peeled and chopped tomato, tomato sauce and salt. Cook the sauce over a medium heat, stirring from time to time; pour in 2 glasses of water and bring to the boil. Pour this sauce over the stuffed leaves, cover them with a sheet of waxed paper and place a stick on top so that they do not move. Cover the pan, and when it starts to boil, lower the heat and leave it to simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the sauce into a bowl, place the grape leaves on a serving dish and pour the sauce over them. Serve with yoghurt (with crushed garlic if desired).
Afiyet olsun!
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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