Lebanese Vine Leaves Rolled with Spiced Beef and Rice

What you need

• 1 jar of grape leaves in brine, about 60 leaves
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) short-grain white rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 450 g (1 lb) minced beef
• 2 tsp Lebanese seven spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for the layers
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 waxy potatoes, peeled
• 2 tomatoes
• 1.3 l (5 1/2 cups) boiling water
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Drain the grape leaves and leave them in warm water for a few minutes to loosen.

2. 2

   Separate the leaves one by one, rinse them and stack them on a plate under a damp cloth. Snip off any tough stems.

3. 3

   Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs almost clear, then let it drain.

4. 4

   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the beef, breaking it up, 5-6 min.

5. 5

   Season the beef with the seven spice, the salt and the pepper, then take the pan off the heat.

6. 6

   Stir the raw rice and the cinnamon into the beef until evenly mixed. This is the filling.

7. 7

   Lay a leaf shiny side down with the stem end toward you. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling near the base.

8. 8

   Fold the bottom over the filling, fold in both sides and roll up firmly toward the tip. Leave a little slack, as the rice swells. Repeat with the rest.

9. 9

   Slice the potatoes and tomatoes into rounds about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick and lay them over the base of a wide, heavy pot. Season with a pinch of salt.

10. 10

    Pack the rolls seam side down in tight rows on top, turning each layer the other way. Drizzle each layer with a little olive oil.

11. 11

    Set a small heatproof plate upside down on the rolls to keep them from moving.

12. 12

    Pour in enough of the boiling water to cover the plate. Put the lid on and simmer over medium heat for 30 min. By then the rolls should have soaked up most of the liquid.

13. 13

    Pour the lemon juice over the rolls, cover again and cook over low heat until the rice is tender all the way through, about 45 min. Taste one to check.

14. 14

    Take the pot off the heat, uncover and let it rest for 30 min so the rolls firm up.

15. 15

    Lift out the rolls and serve warm with the potatoes, tomatoes and lemon wedges.

Imported from feelgoodfoodie.net. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.