Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients:
1 lb pickled grape leaves (can be found at Middle Eastern or Greek markets)
2.5 cups of rice
2 onions
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 lemon
1tsp sugar
1 tbsp pine nut
1 tbsp currant
Salt, dried peppermint, spice
4 tbsp olive oil

1. Wash the pickled grape leaves, or if they are fresh, cook in the boiling salted water.

2. Finely chop the onions.

3. Saute the chopped onions, nuts in olive oil.

4. Wash the rice in hot water and drain the water.

5. Add the rice to the sauted onions and nuts, continue sauteing.

6. Add one cup of water and slowly cook the rice.

7. Add tomato paste, sugar, currant, salt, dried peppermind, and spices to the rice, until all the water is absorbed by the rice.

8. Put the rice aside for cooling down.

9. Place one layer of grape leaves at the bottom of your saucepan. I usually use the defected shaped ones for this sacrificial layer. If you usually forget your dishes on top of the stove like me, this layer will protect your stuffed leaves.

10. Cut the stem of the leaves, put the stems aside.

11. Place one of the leaves open on a large flat plate, the larger side should be closer to you, and the tip of it should be away. The vein side of the leaf should be facing to you.

12. Put some rice mixture at the large side of the leaf which is closer to you, and distribute it horizontaly like preparing sushi rolls.

13. Fold the leaf from sides first, and from bottom to top, than roll towards to the top.

14. Put the stuffed grape over the sacrificial leaves layer in your saucepan, aligned.

15. Place the lemon rings on top of the final stuffed grape layer.

16. Add 2 cups of water, 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan.

17. Place an evenly distributed weight that covers the leaves. A flat ceramic plate will be enough.

18. Cook it at medium heat.