Warak Enab (Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves) (2024)

If you think of vegetarian or vegetable-based dishes, you might think of just salad or other bland food. However, in the Middle East, we have many vegetarian dishes that are healthy and rich in flavor. That is because we love to put some herbs and spices in our food, which makes the food not bland.

There are many kinds of stuffed vegetable recipes we like to put, which include eggplant, zucchini, or grape leaves. But, in this post, I will like to share with you one delicious Middle-eastern grape leaves dish called Warak Enab.

What is Warak Enab?

It is a Middle Eastern stuffed grape leaves that have fillings of a mixture of rice, ground beef, spices & herbs. Traditionally, we are using grape leaves that are preserved in a jar or a can. Furthermore, you can make this dish vegan-friendly by removing the ground meat.

Historically, Middle East, Balkans & some Mediterranean nations were colonized by the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey), from which we obtained most of our food cultures. The stuffed vegetable dishes are one example food how the Ottoman influenced the Middle Eastern dishes, which they call Dolma.

In Turkey, they called this food Sarma, while in Arab countries, we call it Waraq Enab. Although my recipe is a Lebanese or Jordanian style, other versions can be found from Egypt, Syria, Gulf Arab countries, or Palestine.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe:

GRAPE LEAVES: The grape leaves I am using are a prepared jar or a can. You can find this in any Middle Eastern or Turkish grocery store.

FILLINGS: For filling the stuffed Lebanese grape leaves, you need uncooked white rice, ground beef, cumin, allspice, coriander leaves, and white onion.

Note: If you are a vegetarian or vegan eater, you can skip the ground beef.

BROTH: To make a broth for boiling or simmering the warak enab, I just use water, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper.

Things to do first before Cooking

Before you start cooking this recipe, make sure you first soaked the uncooked white rice in warm water for 15 minutes. This will help the rice cook faster.

In addition to that, I made a homemade tomato broth by mixing tomato paste, warm water, salt, and black pepper. After that, I set aside.

Step by Step Instruction

Cooking Warak Enab takes a bit of time since there are four things you should do: Preparing the Grape Leaves; Making the Rice Fillings; Wrapping, and Assembling & Cooking the Stuffed Grape Leaves

I. Preparing the Grape Leaves

In addition to that, before using the grape leaves, you need to clean them first by soaking them in warm or tepid water for few seconds. After that, you dry it up using clean clothes and transfer it to a plate.

II. Cooking the Rice Fillings

See Also

Gravy Master Recipe – Hungarian ChefMawa Gujiya Recipe (Ghughra)Hungarian Goulash a Traditional GulyáslevesHow To Make the Best Lebanese Grape Leaves- UPDATED- RECIPE and directions

• I add olive oil to the pan. Once it becomes hot, add the chopped white onion. I stir till it turns translucent
• Next, I add the ground beef and then I let it cook for several minutes till there is less juice.
• After that, I add the uncooked white rice, chopped coriander leaves, and the rest of the spices, and stir to combine. Make sure you add salt and black pepper for taste. Once you are done, turn off the fire and set it aside.

III. Wrapping the Grapes Leaves

• Firstly, I place each grape leaves on a plate. Make sure the tip of the grape leaves is pointed upward.
• Secondly, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice fillings into the center of the grape leaves.
• Lastly, I fold them on both sides to the center and roll them from bottom to top. Make sure it is tightly rolled to prevent the rice from getting out when cooking this recipe.

IV. Assembling and Cooking

• In this step, I just add slices of potatoes, tomatoes, and remaining of the grape leaves to the bottom of the cooking pot as a first layer.
• On a second layer, I placed all the stuffed grape leaves on the pot.
• And then place a heat-proof plate in the pot and pushed it down using your hand. This will make sure they don't float or move around when simmering.
• After that, I pour the tomato broth into the pot, and then I turn on the fire. Wait till it started to boil.
• When boiling, I reduce it to medium-low or low heat and let it simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Once it reaches 1 hour and 15 minutes, I remove the plate and observe if the rice is already cooked. If the rice is still hard, continue simmering and observe again every 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ'S)

1. Can I make my Warak Enab into vegan friendly?

Yes, you can just remove the ground meat when making the grape leaves fillings.

2. Can I use pressure cooker when using this recipe?

You can use a pressure cooker which you can cook for only less than 1 hour.

3. How can I reheat this Lebanese grape leaves?

You can reheat using the microwave by heating for 2 to 3 minutes in a medium-high setting. However, in some countries, you can eat these stuffed grape leaves either cold or hot.

Other Lebanese Stuffed Recipes

Here are other delicious vegetable-based stuffed recipes you make at home:

• Makdous (Stuffed Eggplant)
• Malfouf (Stuffed Cabbaged Roll)

📋 Recipe Card