Grape Leaves Aleppo Recipe

I make almost the exact same recipe (from Lebanon), except I use cabbage leaves. I also bake it all in a casserole dish making sure to cover the rolls completely with water, lemon juice, sliced garlic, and some drops of margarine. It is so much easier than doing it on the stove. Salt all over. It is a tangy garlicky lemon flavor that I love!

Almost a duplicate of Sitoo's recipe straight from Beirut. Thank you for the memory lane! We use 1:1 rice/lamb (to stretch), and the lamb is deboned/minced by hand. Bones used for stock. Also go heavier on the fresh garlic, scattering unpeeled whole cloves between layers. Sub h/m lamb stock for the water as well. Use a HEAVY bottom pot or put down a steamer basket to avoid scorching. Tradition says use "unusable" leaves to line pot but they still scorch and can ruin the flavor of the whole pot.

I'd never made anything with grape leaves before but I couldn't resist buying a jar of them because they were so pretty (Gaea brand). They were a trick to get out of the jar but after a lot of rinsing and dunking in lukewarm water they were finally separated from one another. I stacked all my rolls in a bamboo steamer, sprayed them with a little olive oil, and steamed them - it worked extremely well. I just kept adding hot water as it evaporated. I poured the lemon juice on them after they had cooked and they tasted AMAZING. Definitely worth the effort.

I have made this recipe dozens and dozens of times and it is amazing! These taste just like my Lebanese Aunt used to make! The ONLY small changes I made to the recipe are to cut the Allspice to 1/2 the recommended amount (personal preference) and to boil the leaves in a pot that is filled 1/2 with water and 1/2 with lemon juice. It gives the leave such a nice tang!!! Also, I add some kalamata olive juice to the pot with water/lemon juice (about 1/2 the liquid in the olive jar) and I add several olives to each layer of leaves. I prefer to use ground beef instead of lamb and my kids like this recipe with ground turkey (which is also surprisingly delicious!!) THANKS!

This recipe was pretty good. Not enough spice for me though. So I added: More allspice and garlic salt in the mixture (second time I made them) and they tasted much better. Also, this recipe states put a plate over the grape leaves while cooking, was a little scarred the plate would crack (I used a porcelain very thick/ microwave safe plate) and it did not crack. I left it in the pot the whole time of cooking. It is true, you do need something to hold down the rolls while boiling or the top ones (leaves) will not get tender and be discolored. Also, after my second batch was done...I dipped them in Virgin Olive Oil.

Very close to Grandma's recipe! (She was from the southern part of Syria, while I found that Aleppo is exactly north.) I was pleased with these, and though I followed the recipe exactly, I plan to make a couple minor adjustments next time. I'm going to halve the pepper and increase the allspice by a half-teaspoon. Instead of soaking the rice, Grandma always mixed about 1/2 cup of water into the meat mixture with the dry rice. It gave some moisture for the rice to absorb, without extra prep or an overly tough middle. (She preferred her lamb ground coarsely for most flavor. Short-grain rice is also the traditional rice for stuffing grape leaves.) One more TIP is to use a smaller amount of filling, so that the raw amount is about the size of a short stubby pencil. The finished leaves will be the size of a child's marker. In this way they will be a lovely shape and you will use most of your jarred leaves. Finally, she never added garlic but I LOVED it in these! And next time I will remember to add the olives! I served with extra lemon, plain yogurt, and pita bread and thought I was back in time :)

I am using a friends account but want to say I make these almost exactly the same, the way my in laws from Aleppo Syria taught me. My mother in law worked in her fathers restaurant since she was 5 rolling yeb'r't . The only difference that makes them a bit juicer is layering lamb bones in with the yeb'r't while they are cooking. The fat flavors them and gives them an extra nice flavor. I also layer cloves of garlic in with them. :)

Fantastic recipe but I did make a few changes: reduced the allspice by 1/2 tsp, then added 1 tsp cinnamon (like MY grandma used to use.) I was short on lamb, so I added some canned chickpeas. Also, the lemon juice seemed over the top so I used only 1/2 cup, which seemed just right.

Everyone complimented it.

Fantastic - Thanks for sharing! I used Jasmine rice and omitted the olives because my husband doesn't like them. I also didn't have fresh garlic on hand - so I used a lot of organic minced garlic from a jar. Also - I used Meyer lemons instead of regular ones. I just love having a few of these for lunch - I dip them in a sauce of sour cream, cajun seasoning, and a lot of curry powder!

Not bad, To keep the Leaves on the bottom from sticking used torn leaves or bamboo/wooden skewers to line the bottom before stacking your leaves, I also add a little mint, alt use meatloaf mix , and cut the stems off in a v shape slightly into the leaf (pick fresh leaves 3rd one from the end of the vine for tenderness)

I had been looking for a recipe that was like my moms and this was it!

Excellent. I wrapped about 100 and since I love garlic and lemon I doubled both. I did not fold the ends of the grape leaves so the lemon flavor could get in and flavor the rice and meat a little more easily. Only seasoning I used was salt and allspice. They were great.

I followed recipe as presented. My guests, all experienced cooks, liked the taste and presentation and asked for the recipe for their own use. Since finding this grape leaves recipe I've been trying a new recipe each week. Thanks.

Not bad, To keep the Leaves on the bottom from sticking used torn leaves or bamboo/wooden skewers to line the bottom before stacking your leaves, I also add a little mint, alt use meatloaf mix , and cut the stems off in a v shape slightly into the leaf (pick fresh leaves 3rd one from the end of the vine for tenderness)

I prefer cooking dolmas in tomato sauce instead of water.

Its my first time to do this recipe and it taste good, i add some piece of ginger and Cinnamon stick while simmering... I will do this again...

coming from a lebanese woman, this is a great recipe! just like my Sitti's and mom's! we add a bit of cinnamon to our mix

I am Syrian also (Shammy), my grandmother made this all the time and now I do. Our recipe is extremely similar, however we also use bones in the bottom of the pot for added flavor. Also, they are also delicious with beef if you do not like lamb. This is a staple in my home and we have even made them to pass around at my neices wedding. The restaurant felt honored to have us share this meal with them as well. Thanks for the tip about adding olives, will have to try that next time! :) Yum!

This recipe is very delicious and very very much like the BEST grapeleaves in the world that my middle eastern aunt makes. Based on her recommendation, I am going to take down the allspice by about half next time and I am going to add some melted butter (6-8oz) to the meat and rice mixture. Also, I was very generous with the lemon juice during the cooking process. And I poured lemon on top of the leaves before serving them too. All in all, this is a wonderful recipe!!