Hello everyone! Today, we are making vegetarian stuffed grape leaves and stuffed dried eggplants! Let’s get cooking!! 🧅🫑🍅🧄🌶️🍆
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
- 2 chopped onions (4 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. red pepper
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- half a jar of grape leaves
- dried eggplants (optional)
For the sauce:
- 4 cups water
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
Instructions:
1. Begin by chopping the onions. Pour the olive oil in a medium pot and add onions to simmer until translucent.
2. If using eggplants, warm water in a medium pot and add in eggplants. Once the water boils, remove eggplants and set aside.
3. Wash the rice. Once the onions are ready, add in washed rice to the pot. Add pomegranate molasses, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Pour the water in the pot, cover with lid and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes, the rice should be slightly cooked. Transfer to a bowl and add in chopped tomatoes, parsley, walnuts, lemon juice and stir to combine.
6. To make the sauce, in a medium sauce pan, add the water, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, and sugar. Once the water boils, turn it off and set aside.
7. Wash the grape leaves. Lay the grape leaves out and scoop 1 tbsp. of filling into each grape leaf.
8. Carefully, fold in the edges and begin to roll the leaf forward. Continue until the filling is done.
9. If using dried eggplants, fill the boiled eggplants with the filling and leave about 1 inch of room at the top of the eggplant.
10. Arrange the grape leaves and eggplants in a pot. Put eggplants on the bottom layer.
11. Pour the sauce you made (step 7) over the stuffed grape leaves.
12. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 45 min-1 hour.
13. After turning off the heat, let the grape leaves rest for 1 hour before transferring them to a plate.
14. Allow to cool and enjoy!
