I know this recipe from my Bulgarian friends, who very often have this dish – stuffed grape leaves, Sarmitchki – at Christmas. This dish is vegan and actually not difficult to make; perhaps the rolling is a little time-consuming, but it's worth it, we really enjoy eating these:
Sarmitchki Recipe – Stuffed Grape Leaves – Bulgarian Dish
Extra tip: if the rice is not yet cooked, you can simply add a little more water to the baking sheet and let the whole thing cook in the oven for a few more minutes.
Read also: Recipe for Bulgarian ribs with sarma cabbage – New Year's Eve cabbage
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
Preparation
Finely chop the onions and fry them in a large pan.
Add the rice to the pan and pour in the water.
Now add the spices, the lemon juice and the salt.
You need quite a lot of salt here, about 1.5 tsp.
Then add the mint; Bulgarian mint is best, but it's not so easy to find here; regular mint will do, but it will taste more strongly of menthol.
When the rice has absorbed the water, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the vine leaves.
If you're using fresh vine leaves, you should simmer them briefly to soften them, that is, simply put them into a pot of boiling water and wait until they wilt slightly.
If using preserved grape leaves, you don't necessarily have to cook them until soft, but the preserving process makes them very acidic, so soaking them in hot water is good for the flavor, as they lose some of this acidity.
Let the vine leaves cool, and prepare a large plate or a board.
Now take a leaf and remove the stem.
Then lay the leaf flat and fill it with about one tablespoon of rice at the bottom end of the vine leaf.
Then roll the leaf upward.
As soon as you reach the middle, fold both sides toward the center and finish rolling the vine leaf.
Place the Sarmitchka on a baking tray with the open side down, packed tightly so they don't unroll again.
Now distribute the 1.5 cups of water over the baking sheet - it's ok that the Sarmitchkis are not completely covered with water!
Preheat the oven to 170°C (top and bottom heat) and bake the rolls for about 30 minutes.
They are done when the liquid has been absorbed.
This will make the vine leaves even plumper.
Tips & Notes
If the rice isn't done yet, you can add a little more water to the baking sheet and let the whole thing cook in the oven for a few more minutes.
