Sarma is a Turkish word that means wrapped. The dish sarma is a delicious mixture of meat and rice tightly wrapped in grape leaves and boiled in water and olive oil. Both the preparation and cooking time for this recipe can be time-consuming, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
Instructions
1. Carefully remove the grape leaves from their jars and place them in a large mixing bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water and drain. Repeat this step two more times and leave the leaves to soak in the final batch of water.
2. Place the hamburger, rice, diced onion, dill, salt, pepper and diced tomatoes in the large mixing bowl and blend them well.
3. Remove a grape leaf from the bowl and place it on the counter with the underside facing up. Place a small spoonful of the meat mixture into the center of the leaf and form it into a log shape. Fold the bottom and top of the leaf inward over the meat, as though folding a burrito. Roll tightly from the side to form a cigar-like shape. Repeat this step with all the remaining meat.
4. Place the remaining grape leaves on the bottom of the saute pan and stack the uncooked sarma into the pan up to three layers high. Place the heavy dinner plate on top of the sarma face down and fill the pan with water until the water is coming over the plate's edges.
5. Place the pan on the stove at medium-high heat and cover. Bring the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for one hour. Carefully remove the plate using tongs, stack the sarma on a serving platter and serve with fresh yogurt.
Tags: grape leaves, Carefully remove, large mixing, large mixing bowl, mixing bowl