Round rice with vine leaves recipe
Every week, play restaurant with our Toquéras: simple, seasonal recipes filmed by our favorite chefs. Today, head to the Levant with Joumana Jacob! At her Maison Joumana, the chef prepares a delicious round rice dish topped with vine leaves, served with kefir, Greek yogurt, and sumac.
- 2 cups of round rice
- 3 cups of water
- Grape leaves in a jar
- The juice and zest of one large lemon
- 2 onions
- 2 large potatoes
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
- Plenty of mint, parsley at a minimum, and if possible thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.
- 2 generous pinches of ground ginger, cumin, and cinnamon
- 150 g Greek sheep or goat yogurt (1 jar)
- 100 ml of milk kefir or buttermilk
- Two spring onions
- 4 tomatoes
- Smoked paprika and sumac if possible
- Peel and thickly slice the potatoes and onions. Soak the potatoes in water to prevent them from turning brown. Dice four tomatoes. Finely chop the herbs and mint last. Tuck the mint under the herbs to prevent it from turning brown. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a casserole dish and cover with a layer of potato slices. Season with salt, then top with a layer of onion slices. Season again with salt and drizzle with another little olive oil. Line the casserole dish with vine leaves, bringing them up the sides. Add the rice, water, and lemon juice. Season with salt. Add the diced tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, garlic cloves, spices, and herbs. Cover with vine leaves. Cook covered over medium heat, then reduce heat if boiling is too strong (the boil should remain gentle) for 30 to 45 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the milk kefir or buttermilk, then sprinkle with smoked paprika and sumac. Chop the green parts of the spring onions and sauté them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Chop the white parts of the spring onions and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the rice with leaves. Top with yogurt and the green and white parts of the spring onions. Season with pepper.
For the rice: Peel and cut the potatoes and onions into thick slices.
Submerge the potatoes in water so that they do not turn black.
Cut four tomatoes into small cubes.
Chop the herbs and mint last. Hide the mint under the herbs so that it doesn't turn black.
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a casserole dish and line with a layer of potato slices. Season with salt, then cover with a layer of onion slices. Season again with salt and drizzle with another little olive oil.
Next, line the casserole dish with vine leaves, going up the sides.
Add the rice, water, and lemon juice. Add salt.
Add the diced tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, garlic cloves, spices and herbs.
Cover with vine leaves.
Cook covered over medium heat, then reduce heat if boiling is too strong (the boil should remain gentle) for 30 to 45 minutes.
For the topping: In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the milk kefir or buttermilk, sprinkle with smoked paprika and sumac.
Chop the green stems of the spring onions and fry them in 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Chop the spring onion tops, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Serve the rice with leaves. Top with yogurt and the green and white parts of the spring onions. Season with pepper.
