Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil Recipe: A Timesless Taste

Stuffed grape leaves with olive oil recipe is one the timeless recipes of the Ottoman Palace.

It has a very deep historical meaning and an irresistible taste so that it’s extremely popular in Turkey.

The recipe that I will prepare for you today is the original version.

In Turkey we call it “Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarma”

But it has several other versions popular in other regions of Turkey as well.

The Ottoman Palace style version that I cook for you today is also called “Istanbul style stuffed grape leaves with olive oil” in Turkey.

I prepare all my recipes for you with the most detail so that even the beginner cooks can obtain the amazing result.

If you have eaten it only in famous Turkish restaurants or if you always have to order it ready,

then it’s time for you to make it like a Turkish pro chef.👍

Don’t get panicked; if you follow step by step my recipe I’m sure that you are gonna make it.

It only demands a bit practice.

If you are ready, let’s start our Ottoman (Istanbul) style stuffed grape leaves with olive oil recipe together. 

What To Consider Before Making Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil Recipe?

PIN THIS SUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH OLIVE OIL RECIPE TO SAVE IT FOR LATER! 👇👇👇

stuffed-grape-leaves-with-olive oil-recipe

Your choice of grape leaves type is crucial.

They should be fresh or  pikled leaves.

If you choose old grape leaves you will have to cook them so longtime that they will lose all the taste.

2. The Istanbul style (original recipe) is being served cold.

The Anatolian version of this recipe is being served hot.

3. The original recipe is being prepared with olive oil and it’s definitely meatless. (vegan-friendly)

The Anatolian version of the recipe is being cooked with meal and butter and contains no olive oil.

4. The stuffed grape leaves with olive oil is being served as a Turkish meze (appetizer).

The Anatolian version of the recipe with meat is being considered as a main dish.

Life Saving Tips For Istanbul Style Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil Recipe

1.To obtain the best result by removing all the salt from the grape leaves,

If you have time, it’s best to wash them thoroughly, drain and let it rest within water again one night before preparing.

If you have no time, you may wash them under flowing water and let them wait in boiled water during 5 minutes.

Then drain and continue with the next steps.

2. Remove gently the scapes of vine leaves and keep some of them to use during the cooking step.

3. Do not prefer to place tranche lemons during the cooking step because the lemon peels would make your dish’s taste a bit bitter.😆😆

Instead use lemon juice.👍

4. To maximize the taste add a “bonus ingredient” into the rice : Pomgranate syrup👌👌👌

(This is my addition to the recipe; I have cooked several versions and obtained the best result with pomgranate syrup.)

Try it; you will love it!

LET’S PREPARE OUR STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH OLIVE OIL RECIPE STEP-BY-STEP

grape-leaves-salt-removal-process

STEP 1 : PREPARATION OF THE GRAPE LEAVES – SALT REMOVAL 

If you have time, place the pikled grape leaves  in room temperature water “one night upfront” like me. (They stayed in water during 7 hours.)

Change its water 3-4 times, wash them under flowing cold water and then let them rest within water until morning.

As an alternative and practical salt removal method:

you may wash them thoroughly under flowing water for 2-3 minutes then make them wait in boiled water during 5 minutes.

Then rewash them under cold water and continue with the next steps.

STEP 2: COOKING THE RICE 

Wash the rice thoroughly under flowing cold water, drain and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup of olive oil in the pot.

Add 4 chopped middle-sized onions.

Add 2 table spoon of pine nuts.

Cook the onions for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add 2 cups of washed drained and 10 minutes rested rice in the pot.

Cook the rice for 5 minutes (use a middle-sized wooden spoon and cook continuously with circular motions during 5 minutes)

Then add:

1 dessert spoon of allspice,

1 tea spoon of cinnamon,

1 tea spoon of ground red pepper,

1 full table spoon of dry mint,

1 table spoon of white sugar,

1 dessert spoon of salt,

1/2 tea spoon of black pepper,

2 table spoon of dry black currants (rested before in boiled water during 10 minutes)

1 cup of boiling water

Close the pot lid and cook during 10 minutes.

Attention: Cooking time may vary according to your rice type.

All the water in the pot should have been absorbed. ( as you see on my visual above)

Place a kitchen towel on the pot, close the pot lid and let the rice cool down for 1 hour.

When cooled down, add 2 table spoon of pomgaranate syrup within the rice and fluff it.

STEP 3: ROLLING THE GRAPE LEAVES 

vegan-friendly-turkish-sarma-recipe

Drain the grape leaves with help of a strainer or squiz them gently in your hands to get rid of all the water.

Your grape leaves should now be salt-free and semi-dried.

Remove all the scapes of grape leaves one-by-one and keep them in another plate.  (You will need them in a later step)

Place the grape leave on your table covered with strecht film so your table doesn’t become a mess 😊   or you can use a bread cutting board like me.

stuffed-grape-leaves-turkish-style

Place 1 dessert spoon of rice on the grape leave.

Start rolling the grape leave from both sides and then from bottom of the grape leave.

The point is to roll it thin like your finger. (You may view it on my image above.)

Roll all the grape leaves.

Place the scapes of grape leaves in the pot.

Place 3-4 grape leaves inside the pot so that you regulate the in-pot heat better and you pevent your stuffed grape leaves from getting burned. 👍

Place your stuffed grape leaves within the pot and do not leave any spaces between the grape leaves.

Add:

• 1 tea glass of olive oil 
• the juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1 dessert spoon of salt 
• 1.5 cup of boiled water (if your grape leaves are too old, you may add 2 cups of boiled water)

Place 3-4 grape leaves on top.

Place a plate in reverse position on top of the grape leaves.

authentic-turkish-stuffed-grape-leaves-recipe

Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

When boiled, decrease the heat to minimum and cook for 45 minutes.

ATTENTION: Cooking time may be different for you according to your grape leaves’ freshness and thickness.

If they are thin or fresh 45 minutes of cooking is enough; if not you may prolong the cooking step until 60 minutes.

Please kindly check your grape leaves’ situation in  the 45th minute.

Let them cool down and rest for 3 hours at least without removing the grape leaves on top.

When totally cooled they are ready to be served! 🥰🥰🥰

PIN THIS AMAZING TURKISH STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH OLIVE OIL RECIPE TO SAVE IT FOR LATER! 👇👇👇😎👍👌👌👌

HOW TO SERVE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES WITH OLIVE OIL TURKISH STYLE? 

If you wish to serve them like a real pro, you should better serve them the next day.

When they cool down, place them into a container, add 4-5 drops of lemon juice and 2 tbs of olive oil.

Put it rest in the fridge for 1 night and serve the next day.

That’s the Turkish prochefs’ method. 🥰👌👌👌

( I know, some of you think that there are too many steps but believe me, these steps are the genuine road to the most delicious stuffed grape leaves with olive oil recipe.) 😉😎👌

The small details make the “difference” in Turkish cuisine.

You may also serve stuffed grape leaves with olive oil along with :  Authentic Turkish Tea  in afternoon tea time.

Why I place Some Grape Leaves In The Pot?

As you remember, I place 4-5 grape leaves inside the pot before putting all the stuffed grape leaves.

This step protects this special dish from getting easily burned.

Again I place some 4-5 additional grape leaves on top of the dish.

This step is so crucial to protect the green color of the stuffed grape leaves when cooking.

If you skip this step, your grape leaves would lose their bright green color in cooking step and turn to dark brown. 😢

When you cook them at least for 45 minutes with those additional grape leaves on top and don’t remove them until they cool down,

they keep their bright and shiny green color which is more appetizing! 😎👌🥰

How To Store  The Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil  When You Wish To Cook Another Day?

Since the stuffed grape leaves with olive oil recipe is a special recipe, you may prepare them before an important event or dinner for example,

you may prepare the grape leaves and place them into a vacuum container.

So you can keep them fresh and healthy in the deep freeze up to 2 weeks.

They would be ready to cook when you have a special event, dinner, tea time guests. ✌✌👌

Final Words About The Authentic Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil Recipe

Today I have shared the original Istanbul Style Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil recipe with you.

I hope you have found my recipe detailed and visitor-friendly.

This special dish is one of the most important specialties of the Turkish food culture.

Nowadays, the Turkish career women have little time for cooking and newer generations prefer to buy it ready instead of cooking themselves.

So, this dish creates so much funny discussions in Turkey.

When a cook says to his/her entourage that he/she likes cooking, everybody asks:

“Can you make traditional stuffed grape leaves with olive oil recipe?”

So, it’s kinda personal cooking performance indicator in Turkey. 😉😊

Thanks to my grand mother to have tought me this delicious dish so that I can share today this recipe with you.

I hope you enjoy my recipe and prepare this incredible taste for your family and loved ones.

I will be so happy if you apply this recipe and share your inpression and experience with me below in the comments section.

You are always welcome in my Instagram as well. 🥰

Authentic Turkish Stuffed Grape Leaves With Olive Oil Recipe

Ayse Asli

An irresistible flavory vegan-friendly Turkish appetizer consumable at every time in a day

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 58 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Resting Time For The Rice and Cooked Grape Leaves 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Turkish

Servings 5 people

Equipment

• 1 middle sized plate
• 1 strainer
• 1 bread cutting board
• 1 roll of stretch film
• 1 middle sized wooden spoon
• 1 kitchen towel
• 1 vacuum container if you will cook them in near future.

Ingredients

  

• 500 gr pikled grape leaves
• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup olive oil for the rice
• 100 ml olive oil for the cooking process of the grape leaves
• 4 oignons middle-sized and chopped
• 2 table spoon pine nuts
• 1 dessert spoon allspice
• 1 tea spoon cinnamon
• 1 tea spoon ground red pepper
• 1 table spoon dry mint
• 1 table spoon white sugar
• 1 dessert spoon salt to add on grape leaves before cooking stage
• 1 dessert spoon salt to add into the rice
• 2 pinches black pepper
• 2 table spoon dry black currants
• 1.5 cup boiling water to add into the rice
• 1.5 cup boiling water to add into the pot for the grape leaves
• 1 table spoon pomgaranate syrup
• 1/2 juice of lemon to use before the serving stage
• 1/2 juice of lemon to use for the cooking stage of the grape leaves
• 2 table spoon olive oil to use before the serving stage

Instructions

 

• Preparation of The Rice

  Wash 2 cups of rice under cold flowinw water; drain and let them rest for 10 minutes.
• Preparation of The Grape Leaves- Salt Removal

  Wash the pikled grape leaves under cold water during 2-3 minutes.

  Then make them wait in boiled water for 5 minutes.

  Rewash them under cold water and drain them with help of a strainer.
• Rice Cooking

  Poor 1 cup of olive oil in the pot.

  Add the chopped onions and 2 tbs of pine nuts.

  Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

  Add 2 cups pf washed, drained and 10 minutes rested rice into the pot and cook 5 more minutes.

  Add

  1 dessert spoon of allspice,

  1 tea spoon of cinnamon,

  1 tea spoon of ground red pepper,

  1 full table spoon of dry mint,

  1 table spoon of white sugar,

  1 dessert spoon of salt,

  1/2 tea spoon of black pepper,

  2 table spoon of dry black currants (rested before in boiled water during 10 minutes)

  1 cup of boiling water

  Close the pot lid and let it cook for 10 minutes on minimum heat until all the water has been absorbed.

  Place a kitchen towel on the pot and lid on top; let it cool down for 1 hour.
• Rolling The Grape Leaves

  Remove all the scpaes of the grape leaves one-by-one and keep them for future steps.

  Cover your table with stretch film and place the grape leave on bread cutting board.

  Place 1 dessert spoon of cooled rice in every grape leave.

  Start rolling the grape leaves from sides and then from the bottom.
• Cooking The Stuffed Grape Leaves

  Place the scapes of the vine leaves and 3-4 grape leaves inside the pot.

  Place all the stuffed grape leaves within the pot with no space between them.

  Add

  1 tea glass of olive oil,

   the juice of 1/2 lemon

   1 dessert spoon of salt 

  1.5 cup of boiled water

  Place 3-4 grape leaves on top.

  Put a middle sized plate in reverse position of top of the grape leaves.

  Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

  When boiled, decrease the heat to minimum and cook for 45 minutes more.
• Resting The Cooked Stuffed Grape Leaves

  Make them cool down and rest at room temperature without opening the lid for at least 3 hours.
• Serving Step

  Serve them cold with 4-5 drops of lemon and 2 table spoon of olive oil.

Notes

1.If you have time and possibility to visit Turkey, you may try to cook this special dish using Tokat village grape leaves for the best result. 

2. If you have time, prefer to rest the cooked stuffed grape leaves at room temperature first then in the fridge for 1 night and serve the next day. 

As a tradition, Turkish specialties prepared with olive oil are being served cold and the next day. Since they rest in the fridge with olive oil and lemon drops for 1 night, the 1 night rested olive-oiled specialty becomes irresistible with a flavory and more delicious taste! 

3. Please kindly choose thin and not too old grape leaves. If they are too thick or old, your cooking time can increase from 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

4. After the first 5 minutes of cooking your grape leaves on medium heat, do not forget to minimize the heat to minimum if not your thin grape leaves would get torn or burned. 

5. You may keep the leftovers in the fridge for the next 3 days. (But it's not common; normally they get disappeared within 10 minutes when you serve them to your loved-ones:) 

6.If you are planning an important event, a dinner, a get together which will occur in near future, you may prepare the stuffed grape leaves and store them with help of a vacuum container in the deep freeze up to 2 weeks. 

7. Please don't skip the step of placing 3-4 grape leaves inside the pot and then on top of the stuffed grape leaves. This step has 2 functions: 1. They keep your stuffed grape leaves from getting easily burned. 2. They keep the bright green color of your grape leaves and prevent them from getting dark brown color. 

8. After your stuffed grape leaves have been cooked, do not remove the extra grape leaves on top and let them rest for at least 3 hours with closed lid. 

9.This specialty can be consumed in breakfast, lunch, tea time or dinner according to your preference. 

I hope you enjoyed my recipe; I will be so happy if you share with me your experience of cooking the Turkish style stuffed grape leaves with olive oil via Instagram. 

 

Keyword authentic, flavory, Turkish, vegan-friendly