👨🍳 Method
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1
Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
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2
Crush the cumin seeds with a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife.
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3
Finely chop the dill, parsley, and mint. Set aside.
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4
Finely mince the onion and garlic. Set aside.
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5
In a small bowl, beat the egg until well combined. Set aside.
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6
Cut the lemon in half and juice it. Set aside.
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7
Rinse the fresh grape leaves thoroughly, remove any tough stems, and blanch them in boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until pliable. Drain well and set aside on paper towels.
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8
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
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9
Add the rice to the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
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10
Stir in the garlic, toasted pine nuts, raisins, crushed cumin, and 250 millilitres of poultry stock.
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11
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
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12
Remove the pan from heat and fold in the fresh herbs.
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13
Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste.
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14
Gently fold in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the beaten egg, stirring carefully to combine.
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15
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of water into a large shallow pan and swirl to coat the bottom.
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16
Line the bottom of the pan with 3 to 4 grape leaves, overlapping slightly.
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17
Place one grape leaf at a time on a clean work surface with the shiny side down and the stem end pointing toward you.
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18
Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the lower third of each leaf, fold the sides inward toward the center, and roll tightly from the stem end to create a small compact roll.
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19
Continue until all the filling is used.
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20
Arrange the filled rolls seam-side down in the prepared pan, layering them tightly in rows.
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21
Pour the lemon juice and the remaining 3.5 decilitres of poultry stock evenly over the rolls.
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22
Cover the pan with a lid or foil and simmer gently over low heat for 1½ hours until the grape leaves are very tender and the rice is fully cooked.
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23
Serve warm with avgolemono sauce spooned over the top.
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24
Note: For a meat-based filling, the rice can be replaced with finely minced veal, chicken, or pork.
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