WARAK ENAB||DOLMA||MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE||MEDITERRANEAN COOKING

 WARAK ENAB||DOLMA||MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE||MEDITERRANEAN COOKING

The Arabic word for this dish is Warak enab, which translates to "grape leaves." However, the Greek word for this dish is dolma, which is its singular form; the plural form is typically used to refer to the Greek filled grape leaves, which are called dolmades. 

In North Africa and Southwest Asia, stuffed grape leaves are known by a variety of names:

• Warak Dawali or Warak Enab between Palestine and Jordan
• Lebanon: warak al-arish, yalanji, or enab
• Syria: warak Enab, Yabruk, or Yalanji
• Iraq: dolma or itdolma
• Saudi Arabia: Mahshi Warak Enab
• Dolma or warak enab in North Africa

History of Warak enab:

 The history of Warak enab is a little unclear, or perhaps better said, different people have different ideas regarding the origins of packed grape leaves. "To the Greeks, anything that is exceptional, traditional, and delectable like dolmades - grape leaves stuffed with minced lamb and rice – were originally served on the mountain of the gods,” claims 365 Days of Lebanon. Some Greeks claim that the history of stuffing vine leaves dates back to Alexander the Great's siege of Thebes. The Turkish and Arab people dispute the idea that stuffed grape leaves were introduced to their area during Alexander the Great's reign and instead assert that it was always their diet. Yaprak, or stuffed grape leaves, are believed to have Turkish roots. In fact, the word "dolma" derives from the Turkish verb "dolmak," which means "stuffed." The word "dolma" is used in both Greek and Turkish, but I was unable to determine which language originated first, thus it's difficult to determine who is correct. These days, Southwest Asia, North Africa, the Balkans, and even Vietnam are big fans of filled grape leaves. Every nation has its own distinct flair, and even households have different recipes.

RECIPE OF WARAK ENAB:

Ingredients:

• 125–150 grape leaves, vacuum-sealed or preserved in jars; approximately 600g after draining
• Half a teaspoon of neutral oil
• Seven to ten small (450–650g) lamb chops
• Add salt to taste.
• Two pounds (905g) of ground lamb*
• 1 1/2 cups washed and uncooked medium-grain rice (300g)
• Two tsp Lebanon baharat (3g)
• Six tablespoons (80g) of extra virgin olive oil, split in half. 
• two cups (480g) of stock or water.
• 160g or 2/3 cup of lemon juice.

Directions:

1. To prepare the grape leaves, strain them well and blanch them in a big pot of water that is simmering for around three minutes. Some of the brine that is still clinging to them is washed away by this.
2. For a few minutes, preheat a 7 or 8-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon) for the lamb chops. Pour half a teaspoon of oil into the Dutch oven, add the lamb chops, and cook for about eight minutes on each side. After the lamb chops are well browned, take the Dutch oven off of the burner and place the chops in a single layer on the bottom. While working on the grape leaves, set aside.
3. Add half of the olive oil, the ground lamb, rice, baharat, and salt to taste (approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on how salty your grape leaves are). Stir until ingredients are distributed evenly.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and stock (if the grape leaves are very salty, use water instead of stock and don't season the liquid). Mix in the remaining olive oil.
5. Roll the grape leaves into long, thin rolls. Arrange a leaf on a chopping board, rough and veiny side up. In the middle of the leaf, arrange the stuffing in a long, thin line. Tuck the bottom in. Don't fold the sides in too far, just the sides in. Roll away from yourself, attempting to maintain a slightly tight roll.
6.  Fill up the spaces at the bottom of the saucepan between the lamb chops with any leftover grape leaves. Place the stuffed grape leaves in the pot in three layers, covering the lamb chops with the remaining grape leaves.
7. Pour the liquid over the top of the packed grape leaves after heating it in the microwave. Place the saucepan on medium-high heat, cover it with an inverted heatproof plate, and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. After it begins to simmer, lower the heat to medium and cook, covered, for an additional five minutes. Everything should be thoroughly heated by this point, so lower the heat gradually and cook covered for an additional 40 minutes. At a simmer, bubbles should appear during the 40 minutes.
8. After the grape leaves are cooked, take them off the fire and cover them to coast and cool slightly for thirty minutes. After letting it settle, take off the cover, take the plate off using tongs, set a tray or sizable serving plate on top of the Dutch oven, and carefully turn it upside down.