Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 17¾ oz (1 lb 2 oz) pork mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 5 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• (7 oz) long-grain rice, rinsed
• 2 lemons, juice only
• 12-15 vine leaves, blanched if large
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, to garnish
• (9 oz) Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring now and then, for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
2. Add the pork mince and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it loses its pink colour and any liquid has cooked off, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato purée, cinnamon, dried mint and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened slightly.
4. Stir in the rice and the juice of 1 lemon, then pour in (9 fl oz) water. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid but is still firm. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little; the rice will finish cooking in the oven.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a (8 in) deep round cake tin or ovenproof dish. If the vine leaves are preserved in brine, rinse and pat them dry; blanch fresh leaves in boiling water for 1 minute and drain.
6. Line the tin with vine leaves, vein-side up, overlapping them so there are no gaps and leaving plenty of leaf hanging over the edge. Spoon in the pork and rice mixture and level the top. Fold the overhanging leaves over the filling, then cover the top with any remaining leaves.
7. Drizzle with a little olive oil and the remaining lemon juice. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and the leaves are soft.
8. Rest for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Scatter with the parsley and dill and serve in wedges with the Greek yoghurt alongside.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 2 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data