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Stuffed grape leaves (koupepia)
Ifigenia uses the same filling she makes here to stuff pumpkin flowers, which she cooks on top of the koupepia and serves together with Cypriot bread to mop up the juices.
Level of difficulty: medium
Season: All year round
Ingredients
500 g fresh unsprayed grape leaves
185 ml (¾ cup) olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
500 g pork mince
500 g beef mince
1–2 very ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chopped mint
large pinch of salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
250 ml (1 cup) tomato passata
200 g (1 cup) long-grain rice, rinsed
juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
Preparation
Place the grape leaves, in batches, into just–boiled water to soften. Drain well.
Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5–6 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the heat.
Combine the onion, mince, tomato, herbs, salt, spices, passata and rice in a bowl. Place 1 tbsp of mixture in the centre of each leaf and roll up to form a parcel, tucking in ends as you go. Snugly fit koupepia in a flameproof casserole dish and add enough water to just cover. Place a plate on top to keep koupepia submerged and hold their shape.
Pour over the lemon juice and remaining olive oil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 30–45 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
SBS cook’s notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55–60 g, unless specified.
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