These delicious grape leaves, or yeb'r't in Arabic, were handed down by my grandmother from Aleppo, Syria — brought to the U.S. in 1912.
Ingredients
- uncooked white rice: 1 cup
- ground lamb: 2 pound
- ground allspice: 1 Tbsp
- salt: 1 tsp
- ground black pepper: 1 tsp
- jars grape leaves: 2 piece (16 ounce, drained and rinsed)
- garlic: 6 clove (sliced)
- lemon juice: 1 cup
- Kalamata olives: 2 piece (optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Soak rice in cold water, and drain. Mix together ground lamb, rice, allspice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Place about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture onto the center of each grape leaf. Fold leaf over once, turn in the edges on each side, and then roll the leaf closed.
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Stack leaf rolls in a large pot, covering each layer with slices of garlic. Add just enough water to cover rolls, then pour in lemon juice. Add olives to the pot for flavoring. Place a plate on top of the rolls to keep them under the water.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste rice for doneness. Grape leaves taste even better after sitting for several hours. Serve and enjoy.
