Ingredients

• 50 to 60 grape leaves (fresh or jarred)
• 6 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup white basmati rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, cut into large rings
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• a pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Onions and Garlic: Start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic until they become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in the spices to awaken their flavors and let them sweat for a couple more minutes.
2. Mix the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, sautéed onion mixture, and chopped parsley. Use your hands to mix everything together until it’s evenly combined. Set this aside for now.
3. Prep the Grape Leaves: Drain and rinse your grape leaves to remove any briny flavor. To prepare them, take off the central stem and blanch the leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Rolling the Grape Leaves: Now comes the fun part! Place a grape leaf vein side up on your workspace. Spoon about one tablespoon of the filling into the center. Fold the sides in and roll it up, tucking the edges in as you go to create a neat little cigar. Keep going until you’ve used up either your filling or leaves!
5. Layering in the Pot: Line the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot with unrolled grape leaves and top with the onion rings.
6. Arrange the Rolls: Begin placing your stuffed grape leaves in rows, alternating the direction of each layer to maximize space.
7. Add Broth: Pour enough chicken broth over the rolls to cover them. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil for good measure.
8. Keep Everything in Place: To prevent the rolls from floating away, weigh them down with a plate on top.
9. Cooking: Cover the pot and bring the contents to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let them simmer for about 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and the meat is cooked through.
10. Serving: Carefully remove the stuffed grape leaves from the pot and serve them warm or at room temperature, ideally with a side of tomato sauce or yogurt sauce.

Notes

If grape leaves are hard to find, consider using cabbage leaves instead! This dish can also easily accommodate vegetarians—just omit the meat for a delicious, plant-based alternative. You can even experiment with spices and add ingredients like raisins for a sweet touch.