Royal Stuffed Vine Leaves with Meat

Ingredients

• 2 cups Egyptian rice, soaked
• 150 g minced beef
• Salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tsp mixed cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp meat seasoning
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 liter boiling water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup olive oil
• About 500 g vine leaves (soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, or as needed)
• 2 tomatoes, sliced into rounds, and potato slices

Method

1. Make the filling by adding the spices, meat and vegetable oil to the rice, and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Drain the vine leaves and roll them one by one. Place the tomato slices in the bottom of the pot and stack the rolls on top.
3. Place on high heat, add the water, stock cubes, tomato paste and a little oil. Put a plate on top so the rolls do not move while boiling, let it boil well, taste and add salt if needed.
4. Simmer on very low heat for an hour, adding a little oil and lemon juice every 15 minutes until the leaves are tender. Serve with yogurt.

Notes

Very important: do not open the pot or lift the plate until the leaves have cooled down or stopped boiling, or they will darken.