One of the most special flavors of Turkish cuisine, stuffed vine leaves with olive oil is indispensable for our tables with its delicious filling wrapped in thin vine leaves and fragrant olive oil. Here is the recipe for stuffed vine leaves with olive oil, complete with its tips, so you can prepare this traditional flavor in its best form, whether to serve at special invitations or your daily tables!

Ingredients:

✔ Vine leaves – 500 g (Fresh or pickled)
✔ Rice – 2 cups
✔ Olive oil – 1 tea glass (Preferably cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil)
✔ Onion – 2 pieces (Finely chopped)
✔ Fresh mint – 1 handful (Finely chopped)
✔ Parsley – 1 handful (Finely chopped)
✔ Spring onion – 4 sprigs (Finely chopped)
✔ Currants – 1 tablespoon
✔ Pine nuts – 1 tablespoon
✔ Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
✔ Sugar – 1 teaspoon
✔ Salt – 1 teaspoon
✔ Black pepper, allspice, cinnamon – 1 teaspoon each
✔ Hot water – 1.5 cups
✔ Lemon – 1 piece (Sliced, to be used during cooking)

Preparation Phase:

1. Preparation of Vine Leaves:

• If you are using fresh leaves, soak them in a bowl full of hot water for 2-3 minutes and drain.
• If you are using pickled leaves, soak them in cold water for a few hours to remove excess salt and drain.

2. Preparation of the Filling:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the pine nuts and roast until slightly pink.
• Add the chopped onions and sauté until they soften.
• Add the rice and roast for a few minutes.
• Add the currants, sugar, salt, and spices and mix.
• Add 1 cup of hot water and wait for the rice to swell slightly.
• After taking it off the stove, add the mint, parsley, and spring onion and mix.

Rolling Process:

✔ Lay the prepared leaves on a flat surface, placing them with the shiny side down.
✔ Take about 1 teaspoon of the filling and put it in the middle of the leaf.
✔ Fold the edges inwards and roll it tightly.
✔ Spread a few leaves on the bottom of the pot and arrange the leaves you rolled regularly on top.

Cooking:

✔ Place lemon slices on top of the stuffed leaves.
✔ Add hot water just enough not to exceed their level.
✔ Cover them with a plate to create a slight weight.
✔ Cook on low heat for about 40-45 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:

After cooking, let your stuffed leaves rest for a while and serve at room temperature. You can present them by drizzling extra cold-pressed olive oil alongside lemon slices.

To fully experience the flavor, it is recommended to be consumed after it cools down.

Tip for the Best Flavor:

✔ The quality of olive oil greatly affects the taste of the stuffed leaves. To get the best result, we recommend using cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

Meet us to add traditional flavor and naturalness to your tables and discover the highest quality olive oil!