Yaprak Sarma with Olive Oil

Rinse the salted grape leaves 2–3 times, pour boiling water over them and let sit for 1–2 minutes, then drain in a colander and let cool; for fresh leaves, trim off the stems and blanch the same way.

Heat 60 ml of olive oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Add the finely chopped onion and pine nuts, and sauté over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and the nuts turn golden.

Add the rinsed rice, raisins, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, black pepper, and salt. Stir for 2 minutes, pour in 150 ml of hot water, and cook for 5–7 minutes after it comes to a boil, so the rice absorbs most of the liquid but remains half-cooked.

Remove the filling from the heat, stir in the finely chopped dill and mint, and let it sit for 15 minutes until warm rather than hot.

Place a leaf shiny-side down, trim off any remaining stem, and spoon 1–2 tsp of filling onto the bottom portion. Fold the side edges inward and roll tightly from the stem end to the tip into a snug but not overly tight roll.

Line the bottom of a wide pot with a few grape leaves, then pack the sarma seam-side down in 2–3 tight layers. Drizzle with lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, and 150 ml of hot water; weigh down with an inverted heatproof plate.

Cover the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 35–40 minutes, until the leaves and rice are tender. Turn off the heat and let the sarma cool in the pot for 30 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature.