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 usually comprises beef or lamb. Due to the Armenian Christian Church, which traditionally forbade meat consumption for practically half the yr, Armenians have change into execs at meatless cooking, and yalanchi is a primary 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 comfortable, cohesive filling that’s nearer in texture to risotto than pilaf. 

Not like lamb or beef and rice-filled sarma, which is a predominant course usually cooked in a thicker tomato-enriched broth that it’s additionally served with, yalanchi are cooked merely in water. Yalanchi are additionally normally served as a room-temperature appetizer, although they’re wonderful as a meatless predominant, 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 component on the mezze desk. Happily, they’re straightforward to make—if slightly time-consuming—and will be ready forward of time. In actual fact, their texture and taste enhance after a day or two within the fridge.

In my household, my aunt Esther, an exquisite cook dinner who has perfected her recipe and approach over a few years, is at all times accountable for the yalanchi. Although she has shared her recipe with the remainder of the household and we’ve got 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, at the least in spirit. To make yalanchi slightly simpler for novices, I’ve modified her approach 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 usually makes use of par-cooked rice, moderately than uncooked, to fill our yalanchi. It takes slightly further time to prep, nevertheless it makes filling and rolling the sarma a lot simpler, because the cooked rice combination is extra cohesive than uncooked grains. It additionally hastens 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 via.

To make it, I start by mincing numerous onion: one complete pound of onions for a single cup of rice. I then cook dinner the onions with a beneficiant glug of olive oil. We’re speaking at the least 3/4 cup, and although this might sound extreme, together with all of the onions, it’s a vital component 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 shortly, however it is best to nonetheless cook dinner them lengthy sufficient in order 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 cook dinner till a lot 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 case you like.) Whereas the filling combination cools, I put together the grape leaves.

Learn how 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 fantastic ribs, good for sarma. He took a reducing, rooted it, and planted it in his backyard. At present, 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 bought in shops will work practically as nicely. 

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; you probably have unused leaves, you may 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 should be bone-dry, simply rid of extra water.

You need to use grape leaves which can be about 5 inches in diameter, although bigger ones are fantastic in case you trim them down in order that you do not find yourself with a disproportionate quantity of leaf within the yalanchi. You need to use pairs of smaller leaves, too—simply layer them barely offset to 1 one other to make a 5-inch diameter wrapper. The leaves must be spherical in form, with out distinguished notching round their edges, which may go away 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 in all probability 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 lately, I’d by no means made yalanchi myself, although I’d watched others, like my Aunt Esther, do it many instances. Now that I’ve had numerous apply, I can bang out a batch fairly shortly. It can take a first-timer about an hour to fill and roll all of them; much less when you get the hold of it. (And even much less, in case you can recruit a helper or two to hitch within the effort. Like manti, making yalanchi is most pleasant when it’s a bunch effort.) 

To fill the yalanchi, you begin by laying the grape leaves rib-side up on a reducing 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 reducing 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 an alternative. You set the rice combination simply above the stem finish of the leaf, then use a spoon to kind it right into a log earlier than folding the perimeters of the leaf over the filling one by one to totally encase it. This could lead to 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’ll be able to trim any overhanging bits of leaf from the perimeters or tip with a pointy knife.)

Cooking the Yalanchi

Most Armenians, Aunt Esther included, cook 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 overlaying 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 comfortable and cohesive, and the grape leaves soften extra totally. 

That is the place my technique considerably differs from my aunt’s. As a substitute 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 cook dinner within the oven, and whereas it does take slightly longer than cooking them on the stovetop, it’s a hands-off technique that works simply as nicely. You received’t must babysit the pot by always checking to verify it’s at a mild simmer.

(Baking them in a dish additionally makes it simpler to switch them to the fridge in the identical container, if desired, which is sweet if you find yourself making them forward of time. You can even bake them in a heatproof serving dish you probably have one of many applicable measurement.) The uncovered grape leaves on the highest of the rolls can oxidize and blacken if not stored moist, however, as I found, overlaying them with further leaves through the bake prevents this fully, and it permits the sarma to cook dinner evenly and fully, 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 folks 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 unsure she’d approve of all of the adjustments I’ve made to it, however different relations have tried it, and it acquired glowing evaluations. It won’t be their go-to model—in spite of everything, it’s laborious to compete with my aunt, the queen of yalanchi—nevertheless it may simply change into yours.