Grape leaves and rice

supermom ↓

Thu, Jul 24 2008, 5:49 am

I know it isn't a sephardi dish, but I thought some sephardi's might know how to make it. Can I just pick off some grape leaves from the vine or do I need to buy it.

Lady Godiva ↓

Thu, Jul 24 2008, 11:03 pm

You buy it. It's jarred in a liquid.
Maybe you can use it from the vine...no idea. Scratching Head

TheBeinoni ↓

Thu, Jul 24 2008, 11:06 pm

supermom wrote:

I know it isn't a sephardi dish, but I thought some sephardi's might know how to make it. Can I just pick off some grape leaves from the vine or do I need to buy it.

It IS a Sephardi dish! Do you need a recipe (I have a great one) or are you just asking if it is better to make or buy it? They have some in cans. The Galil ones are alright. If you chose to make them you have to buy the grape leaves. They come in a jar - they are usually taller and narrower jars than pickle jars. The reason why you cannot just pick them from a vine is because the ones in the jar are preserved in a oily liquid that gives taste to the dish.

Seraph ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 2:04 am

Lady Godiva wrote:

You buy it. It's jarred in a liquid.
Maybe you can use it from the vine...no idea. Scratching Head

Its 100000000 times better if you make it straight from the vine. The jarred stuff is gross. Not even second best. Like 25th best.

And it is sfardi food. Greek is still sfardi...

↑ supermom ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 2:13 am

I am asking for a recipe and advise. I know this guy that just picks the leaves off the vine and eats it. So I thought maybe I am able to make it from scratch. Seraph can you give me a recipe? I thought this was a marrocon dish. I learn something new everyday.

↑ Seraph ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 2:15 am

I can try to get a recipe, but it involves calling my mom. But I can tell you in short, what you do is pick the leaves off the vine. Make a mixture of raw rice, chopped onion, salt, lemon, mint, (ETA:) oil and dill, roll them in the grape leaves, line then in a pot in layers, and then add water to cover them, then cover it with a heavy plate, meaning put the plate inside the put on top of the grape leaves, and cook. We made ours meatless...

↑ supermom ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 5:20 am

Thanks.

About the leaves. They don't crack when tried to roll up? What is ETA? Is it possible to get me measurements and how long to cook?

↑ Seraph ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 5:25 am

supermom wrote:

Thanks.

About the leaves. They don't crack when tried to roll up? What is ETA? Is it possible to get me measurements and how long to cook?

Well, if you use live leaves, why would they crack? I can only think that dead dried leaves would crack.
I cant get you exact measurements, but I would have it roughly a 3 to one rice to onion ratio, and seasonings to taste... Cook for about an hour. (ETA is edited to add)

↑ TheBeinoni ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 7:56 am

here in the States we don't have the luxury of just picking the leaves from the vine

yo'ma

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 8:18 am

hotmama wrote:

here in the States we don't have the luxury of just picking the leaves from the vine

As I said in a different thread, the Pakistinians used to always pick the leaves off my parents vine. They live in the heart of Flatbush. Used to, the vine doesn't look that great anymore. My grandparents used to have a vine in their backyard, they lived in L.A. My grandfather used to make grape juice w/ the grapes.

Ruchel

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 10:33 am

Of course Greek is Sefardi, at least the Ladino ones (Romaniote is another origin entirely). I was going to say it's a Greek dish. My grandma makes it, but I don't like.

↑ Lady Godiva ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 10:35 am

supermom wrote:

I recently put up a recipe for Yebra (Stuffed Grape Leaves) in the Sephardic Food sub-forum under the title "Salad/Dips". Check it out if you want. (scroll down as it's not one of the first posts)

↑ Seraph ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 10:40 am

hotmama wrote:

here in the States we don't have the luxury of just picking the leaves from the vine

we had a grape arbor in our backyard in the us of a...

↑ Lady Godiva

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 10:41 am

Seraph wrote:

hotmama wrote:

here in the States we don't have the luxury of just picking the leaves from the vine

we had a grape arbor in our backyard in the us of a...

That's really cool!! Did you eat them a lot?

↑ Seraph ↓

Fri, Jul 25 2008, 11:16 am

how do you think I knew how to make stuffed grape leaves? It was often...
oh... grapes? No. unfortunately, birds tended to get to our grapes. That, or bugs...

↑ supermom ↓

Sat, Jul 26 2008, 3:33 pm

One last question. How does the leaves have to look totally green. Can they have a bit of white spots on them?

↑ TheBeinoni

Sun, Jul 27 2008, 12:20 pm

Seraph wrote:

hotmama wrote:

here in the States we don't have the luxury of just picking the leaves from the vine

we had a grape arbor in our backyard in the us of a...

wow! lucky you. I need to start checking out the local greenery more closely!

↑ Seraph ↓

Sun, Jul 27 2008, 1:17 pm

supermom wrote:

One last question. How does the leaves have to look totally green. Can they have a bit of white spots on them?

what kind of white spots? like pesticide? or bugs? or what? I dunno specifically what you're talking about, but I'd take as green as possible... dont take anything that doesnt look appetising to eat.

↑ Seraph ↓

Mon, Jul 28 2008, 12:57 pm

white white or lighter green? Do the spots wash off? Are they flat or raised? Can you take a picture for me?