Orange Blossom Water

In Syria we have two types of stuffed grape leaves:

1. Yalanji: stuffed with rice, veggies and olive oil. This is served as appetizer.

2. Yabraq: stuffed with rice and meat. This is served as main course.

Today I will talk about Yalanji.

Yalanji is one of the most important appetizers in Syria, for example it is served in celebrations like engagement parties, weddings, birthdays , and even in Eids (holidays in Islam).

Let’s make Yalanji:

Before talking about the method of cooking Yabraq, I’ll tell you some information about two things:

1. Grape Leaves:

Read all the notes about grape leaves in the post (Grape Leaves).

Stainless Steel Pot Lid (I will give it the name “Flat Lid”)

This lid is needed for the technique of cooking “Yalanji”, anything looks like this lid works fine, just try to find something similar to it but should be stainless steel . I have two sizes a big one and small one as you can see in the picture, I will not use both of them, you will know more in the rest of the post.

1. Prepare ingredients which are: grape leaves, rice, red onion, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, Turkish coffee powder, salt, black pepper, lemon salt (not quite sure about the name in English) and water.

2. In a pot bring water to water then turn off heat and add grape leaves to water, and keep in water for 10 minutes, then remove from water and drain, set aside.

Filling

3. Rinse rice with cold water in several changes, then boil water, soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes, then drain, and rinse rice in cold water in several changes.

4. Chop onion using knife (don’t use food processor), wash the chopped onion, then strain the onion.

5. In a pot, add olive oil and turn on the heat.

6. Add onion to oil.

7. Add rice, and stir.

8. Add finely chopped parsley leaves (don’t use food processor, chop with knife), and stir.

9. Tomatoes should be peeled, seeds removed, chopped with knife and strained, and it has to be ready. Now in this step add tomatoes to the mixture.

10. Add chopped walnuts, and stir.

11. Add pomegranate molasses, Turkish coffee powder, lemon salt, salt, pepper, and stir.

12. Leave it just for 5 minutes, then turn off heat.

Roll the Grape Leaves

13. This step shows you how to roll the grape leaves.

Choose the leaves that are large size.

The filling is added to the side where the veins of the leaves are most prominent.

The quantity of the filling is 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon. You should notice that in Yalanji, the amount of filling added to each leaf is about 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon.

Cooking stuffed grape leaves

14. Prepare a large deep pot, and arrange tablespoons on the bottom of the pot (it doesn’t matter how they are arranged, try any way you are comfortable with,  also 3 tablespoons were good for the size of my pot).

15. Add the flat lid over the tablespoons (I used the small pot lid because the size is perfect for my pot). The tablespoons and the pot lid work as a protection for the stuffed grape leaves; to prevent the direct contact between the stuffed grape leaves and the heat.

16. Add unrolled grape leaves over the flat lid.

17. Add sliced potatoes over the unrolled grape leaves.

18. Arrange the stuffed grape leaves in the pot, the same way in the picture.

19. Put over the stuffed leaves unrolled grape leaves.

20. Put a plate over the grape leaves.

21. Put something heavy over the plate, this is a piece of marble.

22. Boil water and add to this water salt and lemon salt, then pour the water on the rolled leaves in the pot, water level must be more than the top level of the bowl, now cook on lowest heat up to two hours, don’t touch it or remove the pot cover.

23. After two hours it should be ready (you can take one and taste), and if it is cooked turn off heat, drain the water, and recover the pot partially, as you see in the picture, just little, and leave it 45 – 60 minutes, after this time you can take your stuffed grape leaves, keep it in any bowl or container and cover.

24, 25. Serve Yalanji cold.

Yalanji

From: Family Recipe / Servings: 70 - 75 Stuffed Leaves
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Grape leaves, large size Filling 500 g Egyptian short grain rice Boiling water, for soaking rice 2 red onions, finely chopped 500 ml olive oil 3 whole flat parsley bunches (use leaves only), finely chopped 2 kg tomato, peeled and seeds removed then chopped Walnuts, chopped 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses 3 tsp Turkish coffee powder 3 tsp lemon salt (citric acid) Salt Black pepper Cooking stuffed grape leaves Additional grape leaves, not rolled (explained in the directions) 2 - 3 potatoes, sliced to circles Boiling Water Salt 2 tsp lemon salt (citric acid)

Prepare ingredients which are: grape leaves, rice, red onion, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, Turkish coffee powder, salt, black pepper, lemon salt (not quite sure about the name in English) and water. In a pot bring water to water then turn off heat and add grape leaves to water, and keep in water for 10 minutes, then remove from water and drain, set aside. Rinse rice with cold water in several changes, then boil water, soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes, then drain, and rinse rice in cold water in several changes. Chop onion using knife (don’t use food processor), wash the chopped onion, then strain the onion. In a pot, add olive oil and turn on the heat. Add onion to oil. Add rice, and stir. Add finely chopped parsley leaves (don’t use food processor, chop with knife), and stir. Tomatoes should be peeled, seeds removed, chopped with knife and strained, and it has to be ready. Now in this step add tomatoes to the mixture. Add chopped walnuts, and stir. Add pomegranate molasses, Turkish coffee powder, lemon salt, salt, pepper, and stir. Leave it just for 5 minutes, then turn off heat. Roll the Grape Leaves This step shows you how to roll the grape leaves. Choose the leaves that are large size. The filling is added to the side where the veins of the leaves are most prominent. The quantity of the filling is 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon. You should notice that in Yalanji, the amount of filling added to each leaf is about 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon. Cooking stuffed grape leaves Prepare a large deep pot, and arrange tablespoons on the bottom of the pot (it doesn’t matter how they are arranged, try any way you are comfortable with, also 3 tablespoons were good for the size of my pot). Add the flat lid over the tablespoons (I used the small pot lid because the size is perfect for my pot). The tablespoons and the pot lid work as a protection for the stuffed grape leaves; to prevent the direct contact between the stuffed grape leaves and the heat. Add unrolled grape leaves over the flat lid. Add sliced potatoes over the unrolled grape leaves. Arrange the stuffed grape leaves in the pot, the same way in the picture. Put over the stuffed leaves unrolled grape leaves. Put a plate over the grape leaves. Put something heavy over the plate, this is a piece of marble. Boil water and add to this water salt and lemon salt, then pour the water on the rolled leaves in the pot, water level must be more than the top level of the bowl, now cook on lowest heat up to two hours, don’t touch it or remove the pot cover. After two hours it should be ready (you can take one and taste), and if it is cooked turn off heat, drain the water, and recover the pot partially, as you see in the picture, just little, and leave it for 45 – 60 minutes, after this time you can take your stuffed grape leaves, keep it in any bowl or container and cover. Serve Yalanji cold.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 9:55 PM and is filed under Syrian Cooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.