Yaprak Sarma (Stuffed Vine Leaves)
Tender vine leaves rolled around a fragrant rice filling scented with dried mint and olive oil — the dish every Turkish gathering is judged by.
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Ingredients
1 jar (about 500 g drained) vine leaves in brine, rinsed well
300 g (1.5 cups) baldo rice, rinsed and drained
3 medium onions (about 400 g), finely chopped
150 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons currants (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar and 1.5 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1.5 lemons, plus wedges to serve
About 500 ml hot water for simmering
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the vine leaves in two changes of warm water, drain, and snip off any tough stems. Set aside a few torn leaves to line the pot.
- 2
Heat 100 ml of the olive oil in a wide pan and cook the chopped onions with the sugar over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft and sweet, not browned.
- 3
Stir in the tomato paste and pine nuts, then add the rinsed rice and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the grains turn glossy.
- 4
Add the currants, dried mint, black pepper, salt and 150 ml hot water; simmer for 5 minutes until the water is absorbed, then take off the heat and fold in the parsley, dill and half the lemon juice. Let the filling cool.
- 5
Lay a leaf shiny-side down, place a scant teaspoon of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll into a tight, slim cigar. Repeat until the filling is used up.
- 6
Line a heavy pot with torn leaves, pack the sarma in snug concentric circles, and drizzle over the remaining olive oil and lemon juice.
- 7
Pour in enough hot water to just reach the top layer, weigh the rolls down with an upturned heatproof plate, cover and simmer on low for 45-50 minutes.
- 8
Turn off the heat and let the sarma rest in the pot for at least 30 minutes; serve at room temperature with thick yoghurt and lemon wedges.
Yaprak sarma is the recipe Turkish families measure a cook by. Thin, pencil-slim rolls of brined vine leaves wrapped around rice, onion and dried mint, simmered slowly in olive oil and lemon until silky. In Turkey it appears at every bayram table, every engagement tea, every long Sunday lunch — and there is always a quiet competition over who rolls them tightest.
The secret is patience with the onions: cook them low and slow until sweet before the rice goes in, and never skip the dried mint, which gives sarma its unmistakable perfume. Rinse brined leaves well in warm water to tame the saltiness, and trim the tough stems so the rolls stay tender.
Serve sarma at room temperature with a big spoonful of thick yoghurt and lemon wedges. Jarred vine leaves, baldo rice and Turkish dried mint can all be delivered to your door from Turkish Online Market, so a proper sarma day in a UK kitchen is easier than you think.
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