Stuffed Vine Leaves

Yaprak sarma is a Turkish dish of vine leaves rolled around a seasoned rice filling and simmered. The name most often means the cold version, cooked in olive oil and served at room temperature as a meze. A warm version filled with minced meat is also common, and it is served as a main course. Turkish and Serbian cooks both make stuffed leaves, but the Turkish dish uses grape vine leaves, not cabbage.

What it really is

Vine leaves, usually preserved in brine, are rinsed and softened. The filling is rice mixed with chopped onion, olive oil, pine nuts, currants, chopped dill and mint, and lemon juice, with salt and pepper. Each leaf gets a spoonful of filling and is rolled into a small, tight cylinder. The rolls are packed closely in a pan, with more olive oil and lemon poured over, and simmered gently until the rice is cooked. They are left to cool in the pan, which firms them up and lets the flavours settle.

The cold olive-oil version contains no meat, dairy or egg. Cooks differ on how much lemon and herb they use, and how much filling each leaf holds.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, arranged on a plate, with a squeeze of lemon and a little olive oil.
• As a starter or meze, alongside other small dishes.
• For the warm minced-meat version, hot, as a main course with yoghurt on the side.

How to write it on the menu

• Say which version you serve: the cold olive-oil version, or the warm version with minced meat. Name the meat for the warm version.
• Say the cold version is vegan.
• Flag pine nuts, since some guests avoid tree nuts and pine nuts are often grouped with them.
• Name the herbs, dill and mint, since they shape the flavour.