When it comes to exploring new culinary horizons, one of the most exciting things you can do is to try different dishes from around the world. Today, we’re going to focus on a classic Armenian dish – meat and rice filled rolled grape leaves, also known as Sarma. This dish is both nutritious and flavorful, and can be served as a main course or as a side dish. So, let’s get started!
ARMENIAN MEAT AND RICE FILLED ROLLED GRAPE LEAVES
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rice
- 1 pound of ground beef or lamb
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 jar of grape leaves (keep in mind that some brands might be saltier than others, so adjust accordingly)
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions:
- Rinse the rice in cold water for 10 minutes, and then drain well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef or lamb, rice, onions, parsley, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Mix well until everything is well combined and set aside.
- Take the grape leaves out of the jar and rinse them well under cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat them dry with paper towels and remove the stem from each leaf.
- Take a single grape leaf and lay it flat on a clean surface or cutting board, shiny side facing down.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of meat and rice mixture in the center of the leaf, and then fold the bottom of the leaf up over the filling.
- Next, fold in the sides of the leaf towards the center, and roll up the leaf tightly to form a small cylindrical shape.
- Repeat the process with the remaining grape leaves and filling mixture.
- Now, take a large deep-bottomed pot and layer the bottom with grape leaves. Carefully stack the rolled grape leaves on top of each other in the pot until you have used up all the leaves and filling.
- Pour boiling water over the grape leaves, and then drizzle the olive oil over the top of the stuffed grape leaves.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over low heat for approximately 50-60 minutes or until the rice and meat are fully cooked.
- Once the Sarma is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot or cold.
Sarma with pickled cabbage or vine leaves
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rice
- 1 pound of ground beef or lamb
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 jar of pickled cabbage or vine leaves (whichever you prefer)
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions:
- Rinse the rice in cold water for 10 minutes, and then drain well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef or lamb, rice, onions, parsley, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Mix well until everything is well combined and set aside.
- Take the pickled cabbage or vine leaves out of the jar and rinse them well under cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat them dry with paper towels and remove the stem from each leaf.
- Take a single pickled cabbage or vine leaf and lay it flat on a clean surface or cutting board, shiny side facing down.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of meat and rice mixture in the center of the leaf, and then fold the bottom of the leaf up over the filling.
- Next, fold in the sides of the leaf towards the center, and roll up the leaf tightly to form a small cylindrical shape.
- Repeat the process with the remaining pickled cabbage or vine leaves and filling mixture.
- Now, take a large deep-bottomed pot and layer the bottom with pickled cabbage or vine leaves. Carefully stack the rolled pickled cabbage or vine leaves on top of each other in the pot until you have used up all the leaves and filling.
- Pour boiling water over the pickled cabbage or vine leaves, and then drizzle the olive oil over the top of the stuffed leaves.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over low heat for approximately 50-60 minutes or until the rice and meat are fully cooked.
- Once the Sarma is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot or cold.
There you have it – two delicious and authentic Armenian Sarma recipes that are guaranteed to be a hit with your family and friends. So why not give them a try today? We promise you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!