Vegetarian version of stuffed grape leaves
If you are using fresh leaves, blanche them in hot water for five minutes and drain. If you are using grape leaves from the jar, rinse them in cold water and drain
Prepare your work area with one tray to roll the grape leaves beside the mixture and cooking pot
Lay out one grape leaf on the tray and remove any stems
Add 1 tablespoon of mixture in the middle of the grape leaf and tuck in the sides. Roll up firmly into a cigar shape. Adjust the mixture amount depending on the size of the leaf
Stack the grape leaves into layers in the pot. If you have too much liquid in the mixture drain some onto the stacked leaves using a fine sieve
Leave around 10cm space at the top of the pot as the grape leaves will expand when cooked
When you finish rolling the grape leaves, add ½ teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of water and the juice of half a lemon to make the brine
Press down the grape leaves with a sturdy plate or lid one size smaller than your pot. Pour on enough brine to cover and turn the heat on to medium high
After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to low and remove the plate/lid. Taste the brine that has come to the surface and adjust the salt/lemon levels as necessary. Cook for another hour on the lowest heat setting.
Taste one stuffed grape leaf before you turn the heat off to make sure the leaves are well done