by Anissa Helou
4. To make the sauce: Put the tamarind paste in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup (250 ml) hot water and let sit while you roll the grape leaves, stirring from time to time to help the paste dissolve in the water. Then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and mix with the melted butter.
5. To stuff the grape leaves: Now comes the time-consuming part. Drizzle a little oil over the bottom of a medium pot and line the bottom with a layer of loose grape leaves. Take a grape leaf, cut away the stem, if any, and lay it flat on your work surface, smooth side down with the stem end nearest to you. Depending on how big the leaf is, spread 2 to 3 teaspoons stuffing in a thin raised line across the leaf, about ½ inch (1 cm) away from the beginning of the stem and a little more distance short from either side. Fold the sides over the rice, in a line that slightly tapers toward the bottom, then fold the stem edge over the stuffing and roll neatly to completely encase the stuffing. Place the rolled grape leaf, with the loose end down on the grape leaves lining the bottom of the pot, starting from the side of the pan. Continue filling, rolling, and arranging the grape leaves, side by side, doing one layer after the other, and not packing them too tightly, until you have finished both leaves and stuffing.
6. Pour the tamarind sauce over the grape leaves and invert a plate over the grape leaves to weight them down and stop them from unfolding as they cook. Cover the pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 1 hour, or until the leaves and filling are tender. It is a good idea to taste one stuffed leaf before taking the pot off the heat to make sure it is done. Serve hot.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH LEMON OR VERJUICE: Replace the tamarind sauce with this: Soak a good pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons butter and place over low heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Combine ¾ cup (180 ml) lemon juice or verjuice, and ¼ cup (50 g) raw cane sugar, and add to the saffron/butter mixture. Mix well, then add to the stuffed grape leaves the same way as with the tamarind sauce and cook as directed.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE: Replace the tamarind sauce with this: Soak a good pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons butter and place over low heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix 1 cup (250 ml) water with ½ cup (125 ml) pomegranate molasses. Add to the saffron/butter mixture. Mix well and add to the stuffed grape leaves the same way as with the tamarind sauce and cook as directed.
The Lord of Stuffed Vegetables
SHEIKH EL-MEHSHI
LEBANON
This dish is considered to be the most elegant of all stuffed vegetable dishes as indicated by its Arabic name, which translates as “the lord of stuffed vegetables.” Use small Japanese eggplants for a beautiful presentation. Sheikh el-mehshi is said to have originated in the Aleppo/Damascus region and was made with greens. It is one of Ottoman cuisine’s most famous dishes, going back to the eighteenth century. Serve the eggplants with plain rice.
SERVES 4
FOR THE STUFFING
⅓ cup (50 g) pine nuts
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
5 ounces (150 g) ground lean lamb
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
FOR THE EGGPLANTS
12 Japanese eggplants, each about 4 inches (10 cm) long, with the stems on (1¾ ounces/50 g each)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR THE TOMATO TOPPING
Two 14-ounce (400 g) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C).
2. To make the stuffing: Spread the pine nuts on a nonstick baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep the oven on, but reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C).
3. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb and cook until it loses all traces of pink. Keep mashing and stirring it with a wooden spoon or fork so that it separates well and does not form lumps. Take off the heat. Season with the allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt to taste. Add the toasted pine nuts and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. To prepare the eggplants: Trim the stems of the eggplants back to about ½ inch (1.25 cm) above the calyxes (caps). Peel the eggplants in lengthwise stripes about ½ inch (1.25 cm) wide.
5. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) vegetable oil into a large deep skillet and heat over medium heat until hot—test by dropping a piece of bread in it; if the oil immediately bubbles around it, it is ready. Fry the eggplants until golden all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on several layers of paper towel.
6. Take one eggplant and with a small knife, slit it lengthwise down the middle—the peeled section will cut more easily—no more than halfway into the flesh. Gently pry the eggplant open and press on the flesh inside to form a pocket in which you will put 1 tablespoon meat stuffing. Place in a deep oven-to-table baking dish and fill the rest of the eggplants in the same way. If there is any leftover stuffing, spread it on the bottom of the dish between the eggplants.
7. To make the tomato topping: Season the chopped tomatoes with the allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and salt to taste.
8. Spread the tomato sauce evenly all over the bottom of the baking dish in between the eggplants. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and most of their juice has evaporated. Serve hot.
YOGURT SAUCE: There is an interesting northern variation in which the tomato topping is replaced with a yogurt sauce. Make the meat mixture and stuff the eggplants as directed. Arrange the eggplants in a wide sauté pan that will take the stuffed eggplants in one layer and is deep enough to also take the yogurt sauce. Omit the tomato mixture. Make the Cooked Yogurt Sauce, but use 3 tablespoons dried mint instead of a fresh herb. Mix the mint and garlic into the cooked yogurt and pour it hot over the eggplants. Simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes. (This version is cooked on the stovetop instead of baking, because the yogurt may curdle in the oven.)
Iranian Herb Omelet
SABZI KUKU
IRAN
Kuku is a more elaborate version of a Spanish omelet, made with different fillings from green beans to this amazing herb version that is served for Nowruz (Persian New Year). Sabzi means “herbs” in Iranian and usually people buy the herbs ready-mixed and often chopped to order in the market, but you will have to make your own mix here in the West.
SERVES 4
Pinch of saffron threads
4 walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried barberries (zereshk)
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (7 ounces/200 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro (7 ounces/200 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
3 bunches scallions (5 ounces/150 g total), thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried powdered fenugreek leaves
8 organic eggs
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Sea salt and finely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1. Put the saffron to steep in 2 teaspoons water.
2. Put the walnuts, barberries, herbs, scallions, and dried fenugreek in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Break the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and beat well. Add the saffron water, flour, and baking powder and mix well. Pour over the herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In a 6-inch (17.5 cm) round nonstick skillet (you don’t want to use too large a pan as you need your omelet to be at least an even 1 inch [2.5 cm] high), heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Pour in the egg mixture and shake slightly from side to side to even out the mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let c
ook gently for about 25 minutes, or until the omelet has risen well. Invert a plate over the pan and invert the omelet onto it. Slide it back into the pan and cook, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on both sides and cooked through.
4. Gently transfer to a serving platter and serve hot or let cool to serve at room temperature.
Iraqi Stuffed Onions
DOLMA BASSAL
IRAQ
The best onions to use here are the elongated ones with a yellow or white skin. The red ones are the right flavor or shape but the color is too red and will not be as pretty as the white onions, which eventually end up a lovely brown color, from both the caramelization and the pomegranate molasses in the stuffing. It is one of my favorite dolma dishes, and I still remember the first time I had it in Kuwait, at a friend’s beach house. His mother had cooked and sent the onions over together with other delightful Iraqi delicacies. She was Iraqi and had married my friend’s father who was a Kuwaiti diplomat posted to Iraq, where they lived many years; and in their home, both Kuwaiti and Iraqi dishes were de rigueur at every meal.
SERVES 6 TO 8
FOR THE STUFFING
1½ cups (300 g) Egyptian or Calasparra rice, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes in lightly salted water
1 small onion (3½ ounces/100 g), finely chopped
1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g), cut into small cubes
½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons, or to taste
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (7 ounces/200 g), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
A few sprigs mint, leaves stripped off the stems, finely chopped
⅓ cup (80 ml) pomegranate molasses
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
TO ASSEMBLE
15 large elongated onions (3½ ounces/100 g each), peeled
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-thin slices
Sea salt
3½ cups (900 g) Greek yogurt, for serving
1. To make the stuffing: Drain the rice and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, tomato, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, mint, pomegranate molasses, turmeric, pepper, and salt to taste. Mix well.
2. To stuff the onions: Trim the top and bottom of each onion making sure you cut off the root part completely so that you can easily separate the layers once you have blanched them. Cut halfway through the onion lengthwise, just to the center. This way you can peel the layers one by one without tearing them. Fill a large pot with water and add the onions. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions have completely softened but are not mushy. Drain and let cool enough to handle.
3. Line a large pot in which you will cook the stuffed onions with the potatoes and sprinkle the potatoes with a little salt.
4. Mix the stuffing again, then separate the layers of onion and very gently place 1 to 3 teaspoons of stuffing in each, closing the onion over the stuffing. Reserve the last skinny layers to line the bottom of the pot. Remember that the rice will expand during cooking so don’t fill the onion too much. Each filled onion should resemble a mini rugby ball. Place the filled onions fairly tightly side by side in the pot, making two or three layers, depending on the size of your pot. Once done, pour a little water into the stuffing bowl and swirl it around to extract the last of the juices and pour over the stuffed onions.
5. Add enough water to barely cover the onions. Sprinkle with salt to taste, then place an inverted heatproof plate over the stuffed onions to stop them from unrolling. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble gently for about 1 hour, until the filling is done. It is a good idea to taste one stuffed onion before taking the pot off the heat to make sure it is done.
6. Serve hot with the yogurt on the side.
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
MEHSHI MALFUF
LEBANON | SYRIA | JORDAN | PALESTINE
In Syria this dish is simply called malfuf, which in Arabic means both “cabbage” and “rolled,” an apt name. A word of advice here. Cabbage leaves are prone to break while raw and they tear easily after they are blanched, so be gentle as you prise them free. If you can find one, use a flat-head cabbage: The leaves are more tender and they will make nicer stuffed leaves. You can use the same stuffing with qara’ (Cucurbito pepo or C. lagenaria), a type of marrow related to zucchini (see Variation).
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE STUFFING
½ cup (100 g) Egyptian or Calasparra rice
5 ounces (150 g) lean ground lamb
2 medium tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g total)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
FOR THE CABBAGE
1 head cabbage (about 3¼ pounds/1.5 kg), preferably a flat-head cabbage
2 medium tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g total), cut into medium-thin slices
3 or 4 lamb bones (optional)
Sea salt
TO FINISH AND SERVE
7 large cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
1 tablespoon ground dried mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt
1¾ cups (16 ounces/450 g) Greek yogurt, for serving
1. To make the stuffing: Rinse the rice under cold water. Drain and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground lamb, then squeeze the fresh tomatoes with your hands over the meat and rice, extracting as much juice and pulp as you can. Line the bottom of the pot in which you will cook the stuffed leaves with the skins. Season with the cinnamon, allspice, pepper, and salt to taste and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
2. To prepare the cabbage leaves: Cut off the cabbage leaves, one by one, cutting as close to the core as you can. Gently remove each, making sure you do not break them. Discard any damaged outer leaves.
3. Fill a large pot with boiling water and salt to taste, place over high heat, and bring back to a boil. Plunge in a few leaves and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leaves have softened. Carefully remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. Put a few more in the pot. Add more boiling water if necessary. Blanch and drain as with the first batch and continue until you have blanched all the leaves.
4. Shave the thick ribs off the leaves without breaking the leaves and if some leaves are too big to make a medium roll, cut them across in two, taking where the rib thins down to become pliable as the dividing line. Pile the leaves one on top of the other on your work surface with the glossy sides down.
5. Line a large pot with the cabbage ribs, then the sliced tomatoes and the bones if you are using them—they will make the sauce richer.
6. To stuff the leaves: Lay one cabbage leaf at a time on your work surface, glossy side down, and with the cut side nearest to you. Spread 1 to 1½ teaspoons stuffing depending on the size of the leaf in a thin raised line across the leaf, about ½ inch (1 cm) inside the edge nearest to you and the same distance from the other edges. Roll the leaf over the stuffing fairly loosely in order to leave enough room for the rice to expand during cooking. Lift and place onto the bones and tomatoes, loose side down.
7. Continue filling, rolling, and arranging the leaves, side by side, doing one layer at a time until you have finished both leaves and stuffing. If you have any leftover leaves, simply lay them over the rolled ones. If you have any leftover stuffing, cook it as a side dish: Put it in a small pan, add an equal amount of water, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
8. Pour some water in the empty stuffing bowl, swirl it around to extract the last bits of flavoring, and pour over the stuffed leaves until you barely cover them. Add salt to taste, bearing in mind that the stuffing is already seasoned, and place an overturned heatproof plate over the leaves to stop them from unrolling during cooking. Bring to a boil over medium
-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble gently for 30 minutes, until it is time to add the garlic/mint mixture.
9. Put the garlic, mint, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt to taste, and mix well. Uncover the pot and remove the plate covering the cabbage leaves. Stir the garlic and mint mixture into the cooking juices, tilting the pot to bring enough juice to the surface. Taste to check if you need to add any more salt. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until both cabbage leaves and filling are tender. It is a good idea to taste one stuffed leaf to make sure it is done before taking the pot off the heat. Let sit for a few minutes off the heat.
10. Gently lift the stuffed leaves—you might have to use two spoons for the long-rolled leaves so as not so break them—onto a serving platter. Pour some sauce into a sauceboat and serve hot with a bowl of yogurt on the side.
STUFFED QARA’: For this recipe, choose 8 to 10 small qara’, about 8 inches (20 cm) long, with a lovely pale green color that indicates freshness. Cut off and discard the stem ends, leaving most of the narrow top end on, and cut the bottoms of the marrows. Peel the skin off and use a corer to core the marrow from the wide bottom end, leaving walls about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Rinse the cored marrows under cold water, and let drain. Make the stuffing as directed. Fill up to three-quarters of the marrow, leaving enough space for the rice to expand during cooking. Cook and finish as for the stuffed cabbage.
Vegetarian Stuffed Swiss Chard
MEHSHI SILQ BIL-ZEYT
LEBANON | SYRIA
Traditionally this vegetarian stuffing includes chickpeas, which are soaked overnight, then skinned and split. I don’t like their crunchy bite, finding it an unpleasant contrast to the melting rice and velvety leaves, and I make mine without. I even made my mother stop using them! In South Lebanon, they leave out the lemon juice and olive oil and increase the amount of sumac to 3 tablespoons. You can replace the Swiss chard with grape leaves, in which case the dish will be known in both Syria and Turkey as yalanci (“fake” in Turkish): Use 7 ounces (200 g) preserved or fresh grape leaves for the amount of stuffing below. The stuffed grape leaves are more commonly prepared and they are an indispensable addition to any mezze spread. They are time-consuming to make but well worth the effort. Practiced chefs can roll a whole potful of grape leaves in no time, using a particular way of bunching up the leaf around the filling and rolling it in seconds. I have yet to acquire this knack and because they take so long to make, I usually make mine a day ahead. In fact, they taste better the day after. You can use the same stuffing to stuff eggplants, zucchini, peppers, or tomatoes.