Yalanchi Sarma (Armenian Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves) Recipe

Yalanchi sarma, or simply “yalanchi,” is the Armenian model of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. “Sarma” means wrapped in Turkish, whereas ”yalanchi” means “liar,” a humorous reference to the truth that it is a meat-free model of the extra frequent sarma, which generally comprises beef or lamb. Because of the Armenian Christian Church, which traditionally forbade meat consumption for practically half the yr, Armenians have grow to be professionals at meatless cooking, and yalanchi is a main instance of this expertise. The dish will get its satisfying savory taste from tomato paste and copious quantities of chopped onions, olive oil, black pepper, and lemon juice, with toasted pine nuts (and sometimes dried currants) for further heft. Not like another stuffed grape leaves, the place the grains of rice stay distinct, yalanchi have a smooth, cohesive filling that’s nearer in texture to risotto than pilaf. 

Not like lamb or beef and rice-filled sarma, which is a primary course sometimes cooked in a thicker tomato-enriched broth that it’s additionally served with, yalanchi are cooked merely in water. Yalanchi are additionally often served as a room-temperature appetizer, although they’re wonderful as a meatless primary, both with a salad or wrapped but once more in pita as a sandwich. For a lot of Armenian households, together with mine, yalanchi are a vital aspect on the mezze desk. Thankfully, they’re straightforward to make—if just a little time-consuming—and could be ready forward of time. In reality, their texture and taste enhance after a day or two within the fridge.

In my household, my aunt Esther, an exquisite prepare dinner who has perfected her recipe and method over a few years, is at all times in control of the yalanchi. Although she has shared her recipe with the remainder of the household and we have now all diligently taken notes whereas watching her work within the kitchen, none of us have her magic contact, and most of us proceed to depend on her for our yalanchi provide. The recipe I’m sharing under is hers, not less than in spirit. To make yalanchi just a little simpler for inexperienced persons, I’ve modified her method barely and have scaled down the recipe significantly, since I think about most readers aren’t making this for a crowd of her followers.

Making the Filling for Yalanchi

My household sometimes makes use of par-cooked rice, relatively than uncooked, to fill our yalanchi. It takes just a little further time to prep, but it surely makes filling and rolling the sarma a lot simpler, because the cooked rice combination is extra cohesive than uncooked grains. It additionally hurries up the cooking as soon as the yalanchi are within the oven, because the rice already comprises a lot of the moisture it wants to complete cooking by.

To make it, I start by mincing plenty of onion: one complete pound of onions for a single cup of rice. I then prepare dinner the onions with a beneficiant glug of olive oil. We’re speaking not less than 3/4 cup, and although this may appear extreme, together with all of the onions, it’s a vital aspect that brings an unctuous texture to the yalanchi. I like so as to add a pinch of baking soda to assist break down the onions a bit extra rapidly, however you must nonetheless prepare dinner them lengthy sufficient so that they develop deep savory notes and totally soften. The alliums ought to in the end be so tender they vanish into the completed dish. 

I then stir within the tomato paste, rice, water, and lemon juice and convey all of it to a simmer, permitting the rice to softly prepare dinner till many of the liquid has been absorbed and every grain has softened, however nonetheless retains a few of its chew. I fold in some chopped parsley for a touch of freshness and a handful of pine nuts for satisfying crunch, then let the combination cool to room temperature, permitting it to agency up barely, which makes it simpler to deal with. (My household doesn’t add currants to their yalanchi, although I generally benefit from the pop of sweetness and extra depth they add, and have included directions for utilizing them in the event you like.) Whereas the filling combination cools, I put together the grape leaves.

Easy methods to Put together Grape Leaves for Yalanchi

A few years in the past, my grandfather noticed a wild, sterile grape vine rising on the aspect of a street: It had tender, skinny, and enormous leaves with effective ribs, good for sarma. He took a slicing, rooted it, and planted it in his backyard. Immediately, clones of that one plant are climbing trellises in nearly each member of the family’s yard, they usually permit us to have yalanchi made with homegrown grape leaves year-round. (We harvest the leaves in late June and early July, when they’re fully-grown however nonetheless tender, then blanch and roll them into bundles that we will freeze for later.) I do know not everybody might have their very own prized grape vines and leaves, however jarred, brined grape leaves offered in shops will work practically as effectively. 

I at all times buy extra leaves than I would like, as some leaves will inevitably be torn, ragged, or too small to be used. My recipe requires a 24-ounce jar; if in case you have unused leaves, you possibly can at all times return them to the brine and save them for subsequent time. Jarred grape leaves are already blanched, so making ready them to be used in yalanchi requires simply rinsing and drying them. I like to make use of a salad spinner to dry them, which makes fast work of the duty and would not waste paper towels—they don’t must be bone-dry, simply rid of extra water.

You wish to use grape leaves which might be about 5 inches in diameter, although bigger ones are effective in the event you trim them down in order that you do not find yourself with a disproportionate quantity of leaf within the yalanchi. You should utilize pairs of smaller leaves, too—simply layer them barely offset to 1 one other to make a 5-inch diameter wrapper. The leaves ought to be spherical in form, with out outstanding notching round their edges, which may depart openings within the wrapper for the filling to leak out. Equally, keep away from any torn, fragile, or overly skinny leaves. (Any rejects can be utilized to cowl the sarma whereas they end cooking, so don’t discard them simply but.) You’ll want about 44 excellent specimens for this recipe, and although you most likely received’t use all of them, it’s at all times a good suggestion to have a number of extras.

Filling and Rolling the Grape Leaves

Till just lately, I’d by no means made yalanchi myself, although I’d watched others, like my Aunt Esther, do it many occasions. Now that I’ve had plenty of apply, I can bang out a batch fairly rapidly. It would take a first-timer about an hour to fill and roll all of them; much less when you get the dangle of it. (And even much less, in the event you can recruit a helper or two to affix within the effort. Like manti, making yalanchi is most gratifying when it’s a gaggle effort.) 

To fill the yalanchi, you begin by laying the grape leaves rib-side up on a slicing board. In lots of instances, the stiff remnant of the leaf’s woody stem will stay current, which may make rolling harder and probably trigger the wrapper to tear. To take away it, use a paring knife to chop the stem flush with the bottom of the leaf, taking care to keep away from slicing into the leaf itself, which may create a niche for the filling to leak out.

Aunt Esther’s yalanchi are very small, and he or she makes use of only a few teaspoons of filling in every. That is how they need to be, however smaller yalanchi means extra yalanchi—and extra work—so I’ve scaled them up barely right here and name for a barely rounded tablespoon as a substitute. You set the rice combination simply above the stem finish of the leaf, then use a spoon to type it right into a log earlier than folding the edges of the leaf over the filling one by one to completely encase it. This could end in an extended strip with the rice within the middle. Roll it up like a carpet till it’s totally enclosed to forestall the filling from leaking out. (You possibly can trim any overhanging bits of leaf from the perimeters or tip with a pointy knife.)

Cooking the Yalanchi

Most Armenians, Aunt Esther included, prepare dinner their yalanchi by lining a pot with further grape leaves to separate the rolls from the underside of the pot, which helps stop scorching. They then set the rolls in layers over the leafy lining earlier than masking the parcels with water, lemon juice, and extra olive oil, earlier than bringing it to a simmer on the stovetop. Because the yalanchi gently cooks, the rice tenderizes and swells; the filling turns into smooth and cohesive, and the grape leaves soften extra totally. 

That is the place my methodology considerably differs from my aunt’s. As an alternative of simmering the yalanchi, I bake them: I prepare them in a single layer in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or cake pan with olive oil, lemon juice, and a cup of water, then seal the pan with foil. They take about an hour to prepare dinner within the oven, and whereas it does take just a little longer than cooking them on the stovetop, it’s a hands-off methodology that works simply as effectively. You received’t should babysit the pot by always checking to ensure it’s at a delicate simmer.

(Baking them in a dish additionally makes it simpler to switch them to the fridge in the identical container, if desired, which is good if you find yourself making them forward of time. You would even bake them in a heatproof serving dish if in case you have one of many applicable dimension.) The uncovered grape leaves on the highest of the rolls can oxidize and blacken if not saved moist, however, as I found, masking them with further leaves in the course of the bake prevents this solely, and it permits the sarma to prepare dinner evenly and utterly, because it traps them with steam.

As soon as cooked, the yalanchi will want an hour or so to chill to room temperature; then they get one final drizzle of olive oil earlier than serving. Although it isn’t conventional in my household to take action, I prefer to serve my sarma yalanchi with lemon wedges on the aspect so individuals can add a burst of shiny, acidic taste. Yalanchi are wonderful the day they’re made, however their taste and texture enhance with time, and they are often held for as much as 5 days within the fridge, making them a simple make-ahead dish for entertaining and even only a snack. They’re good when eaten chilly from the fridge, however they’re probably the most scrumptious when loved at room temperature, because the rice is softest when not chilled.

I haven’t shared my yalanchi recipe with Aunt Esther but, since I’m undecided she’d approve of all of the modifications I’ve made to it, however different relations have tried it, and it obtained glowing opinions. It may not be their go-to model—in any case, it’s onerous to compete with my aunt, the queen of yalanchi—but it surely would possibly simply grow to be yours.