Stuffed Vine Leaves & Courgettes
Ingredients
2 cups medium grained rice (Calrose rice). It’s important to use this particular rice.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baharat
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2+2 tomatoes
(300 g minced beef or chicken – optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
40 vine leaves
8 small courgettes
Directions
• Carefully hollow out courgettes with a sharp knife or special rounded blade.
• Rinse the rice, grate 2 tomatoes and mix together.
• Mix in all remaining ingredients except the remaining tomatoes into the rice.
• Hold 1 vine leaf flat on the palm of your hand, veined side up, smooth side down. Add 1 teaspoon of rice mixture, spread out thinly along the bottom of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll up the vine leaf from the bottom, as tightly as possible. Repeat with the remaining vine leaves.
• Slice the 2 remaining tomatoes. Line the bottom of a pot with the slices of one of the tomatoes. Pack the rolled vine leaves and stuffed courgettes into the pot.
• Place the remaining tomato slices on top and sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the tomatoes.
• Place an inverted plate over the top layer of tomatoes. This will act as a weight, preventing the rolled grape leaves from floating up and becoming unraveled, and also acts as a watermark.
• Fill the pot with boiling water to the level of the bottom lip of the inverted plate. Cover pot and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer. Occasionally check if there is enough water. Add 1/2 cup of water if necessary. Cook for 30 minutes.
