Yaprak Sarma (Stuffed Vine Leaves in Olive Oil)
یاپراک سارما (زیتون کے تیل میں بھرے انگور کے پتے)
Yaprak sarma, "wrapped leaves", are one of the jewels of the Turkish table: slim, finger-sized rolls of vine leaves around a rice filling scented with mint, cinnamon and allspice, cooked slowly in olive oil and lemon until silky. Turkish cooks judge each other by how thin they can roll them. They take time, but rolling them is relaxing, and they keep for days in the fridge, ready for guests.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 50 min
- Prep: 1 hr
- Cook: 50 min
- Hard
- Serves 8
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Rinse the vine leaves well and soak them in hot water for 15 minutes to remove the brine (or blanch fresh leaves for 1 minute). Snip off the stems.
Cook the onions in half the olive oil for 10 minutes until soft. Add the pine nuts, then the rice, and stir for 2 minutes. Add the currants, tomato paste, mint, spices, sugar and salt with ½ cup hot water and cook for 5 minutes until absorbed. Stir in the herbs and cool.
Lay a leaf shiny side down, stem end towards you. Put a teaspoon of filling near the bottom, fold the bottom over it, fold in the sides, and roll up tightly into a slim cigar. Repeat.
Line a pot with a few torn leaves. Pack the rolls in tightly, seam side down. Pour over the remaining oil, the lemon juice and 2 cups hot water, and put a plate on top to hold them down.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 40–45 minutes, until the leaves are tender and the rice is soft. Cool in the pot, then chill. Serve cold with lemon wedges.
Arrange on a plate with lemon wedges.
Kitchen notes
Roll tightly but leave a little room for the rice to swell, or the leaves will split.
Jarred vine leaves are sold in Middle Eastern, Greek and Turkish shops and most large supermarkets abroad.
No vine leaves? Use blanched cabbage leaves for lahana sarması, a Black Sea favourite.
A test of skill
In Turkish homes, rolling sarma is often done together, around a table, while chatting. Fine, pencil-thin rolls are a sign of a practised cook; beginners’ rolls are usually fatter, and that’s fine. The flavour comes from the filling and from slow cooking in olive oil and lemon.
Leaves around the world
Most cooks outside Turkey use vine leaves preserved in brine, sold in jars. Rinse and soak them well, or the rolls will be salty. In grape-growing countries, including parts of Pakistan, India and the Mediterranean, fresh young leaves are picked in spring and blanched; many families freeze a year’s supply.
Rolling tips
- Veined side up: the shiny side ends up on the outside of the roll.
- Use only a teaspoon of filling per leaf to start.
- Tuck in the sides firmly, then roll towards the tip.
- Pack the rolls closely in the pot so they don’t unroll as they cook.
Serving
Serve cold with lemon wedges and thick yogurt, as part of a table with biber dolması, cacık and acılı ezme.
Questions people ask
Can I use fresh grape leaves from a garden?
Yes, if they're young, tender and unsprayed. Pick them in spring, blanch for a minute and use; they also freeze well.
What's the difference between sarma and dolma?
Sarma means rolled or wrapped (leaves); dolma means stuffed (hollow vegetables). Many people use dolma for both.
How long do they keep?
Up to 5 days in the fridge in their cooking liquid.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 3 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
