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Delicate Romanian Grape Vine Leaf Sarmale with Minced Meat and Dill
Refined warm-weather Romanian sarmale: tender young grape vine leaves parcelled around seasoned minced pork and veal, rice, sautéed onions, and lots of fresh dill, slow-simmered in tangy borș and lemon broth.
Prep
35 min
Cook
60 min
Total
95 min
Ingredients
servings
6
- Tender young grape vine leaves blanched40 pc
- Minced pork and veal blend600 g
- Short-grain white rice rinsed80 g
- Yellow onions finely minced200 g
- Sunflower oil30 ml
- Fresh dill finely chopped30 g
- Traditional fermented wheat bran borș or lemon juice300 ml
- Warm water or light broth300 ml
- Fresh lemon thinly sliced1 pc
- Fine salt5 g
Preparation Steps
1
Sauté minced onion in oil until translucent. Stir in rinsed rice for 1 minute. Let cool, then mix thoroughly with minced meat, abundant chopped dill, salt, and pepper.
2
Place a teaspoon of filling onto the dull veined side of each leaf, fold in the sides, and roll tightly into delicate cigar-shaped bundles.
3
Line the bottom of a heavy pot with vine leaves, pack sarmale in tight concentric circles, top with lemon slices, and pour over warm borș mixed with water. Invert a small plate on top to keep them submerged, cover, and simmer gently for 60 minutes. Serve with thick sour cream.
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Nutrition Facts
per servingCalories
360
Protein
24g
Carbohydrates
18g
Fat
22g
*estimated values per serving
Provenance & Public Domain Audit
Source: Folclor Gastronomic Românesc / Patrimoniu Tradițional Deschis (Institutul Național al Patrimoniului & Arhivele Tradițiilor Culinare)
Legal status: Domeniu Public (Legea nr. 8/1996 privind dreptul de autor) • 17 U.S.C. § 105
License: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
