Stuffed grape leaves (Dolmeh)

Ingredients:


1. Rice 2 cups
2. Yellow split peas ¾ cup
3. Ground beef/turkey 1 pound (low fat ground meats are preferred)
4. Dry or fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, parsley, mint, rosemary and …) ½ cup dry or 3 cups fresh copped.
5. Onion 1 large
6. Vinegar 1 and ½ cup
7. Sugar 1 cup
8. Turmeric 1 Tbsp
9. Salt to taste

10. Oil 1 cup
11. Grape leaves as much as need.

Directions:

Chop onion in small pieces, sauté in half of oil, when turned to a golden color add meat stir frequently so you wont let meats pieces attach to each other, meat should be cooked and a little bit fried at the end, now add turmeric and herbs, mix well cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Wash the rice and add 2 tsp of salt and 6 cups of water bring to boil and let it boil until rice is almost done drain it and add it to meat mixture.

Cook the yellow split peas in the separate pot and add it to other ingredients as well.

Pour all ingredients in a large bowl, mix vinegar and sugar and pour all over the mixture and mix well. (Taste it if you like more sour or more sweet just adjust it using more vinegar or sugar)

If you are using fresh grape leaves wash them and let get dry a little. I used packed leaves in salt and vinegar if you are using them take them out wash them thoroughly and soak them in cold tab water for a few hours I changed the water several times through these hours for eliminate the salt from the leaves as much as possible.

You may cook the dolmehs in oven or on stove.

First put a layer of leaves in the bottom of you cooking pan then pick a leaf, put some mixture in the center and wrap it using edges of the leaf (depends on how big is the leaf you find how much mixture you need to pick so you can wrap it thoroughly. Make as mush as you have leaves and mixture and put in you cooking pan.

Put cooking pan on medium heat mix ½ cup oil and ½ cup water pour all over the dolmehs. It is better you put some heavy thing on them to prevent to open, especially if you are using fresh leaves.

when steam start to come out from the pan turn heat to low and cover the pan lid in a towel and let steam for at least 2 hours after 2 hours taste them if they are sour and you like them more sweet just mix 2Tbsp of sugar with ½ cup water and boil them and pour all over the wraps and let stay in low heat for half an hour.

If you are using the oven add oil and water and cover the oven dish using aluminum foil and put in the middle rack on 350 Fahrenheit degree for 2 hours.

Enjoy!