How to make Ylangji

Yalnji

Ylang ylang is considered one of the foods that Syrian cuisine was famous for, and then it moved to the cuisines of the Levant and Egypt. Ylang ylang is grape leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables. What distinguishes it from other grape leaf dishes is the large use of olive oil in cooking it. It is also devoid of meat. Ylang ylang is considered an appetizer if served cold, and a main meal if served hot. The method will also be mentioned. Preparing the ylang ylang dish in an easy way.

Yalanji work

Ingredients

A kilo of grape leaves.
Three cups of medium grain rice.
Two cups of finely chopped parsley.
Four tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped.
Two finely chopped onions.
Five cloves of crushed garlic.
Two tablespoons of finely chopped green mint (if not available, replace with a teaspoon of dry mint).
Lemon juice (the amount to be added depends on the desired degree of acidity).
A cup of olive oil.
Two teaspoons of salt.
Two potatoes cut into slices.
Black pepper to taste.

How to prepare

We wash the rice well and then soak it in warm water for half an hour.
We arrange the grape leaves on top of each other after cutting the green stick that is visible from them for ease of using them later. Then we place the grape leaves for five minutes in boiling water, and when they are taken out, they are placed in a strainer.
In a frying pan, put a small amount of olive oil and fry the onions until they change color, then add the garlic and stir well, then add the tomatoes and stir for one minute, then turn off the heat.
Add the rice, parsley, mint, one tablespoon of salt, and lemon juice to the fried onions and garlic, and mix the ingredients well, so the filling is ready.
On a clean piece of marble, we spread one grape leaf so that the rough side of the leaf is the one we will stuff inside, and we place a small amount of the filling on the leaf, transverse to the leaf.
We bend both ends of the paper (the right and left sides), and then twist it tightly so that it produces a finger shape.
We repeat the process until all the grape leaves are finished.
Place the potato slices in the bottom of a large, deep pot, and place the stuffed grape leaves in half.
We pour a cup of olive oil on the ylang-ylang, then add water, lemon juice, and a teaspoon of salt, so that the leaves are completely submerged, and we place weights on the paper to prevent the leaves from opening.
We leave the pot on medium heat for an hour. During this period, if the water decreases significantly, we increase it so that the ylang-ylang does not burn.
After time has passed and the ylang-ylang has matured well, we carefully remove the remaining water from it.

How to serve ylang ylang

Arrange the ylang-ylang leaves on a serving plate, and place the potatoes that we placed at the bottom of the pot on the edges of the plate.
We cut a lemon into circles and arrange it on top of the ylang-ylang, then serve.
Serve it cold as an appetizer, or serve it hot as a main meal.

Ylang ylang with pomegranate molasses

the ingredients

A kilogram of grape leaves, boiled and drained.
Two potatoes, cut into slices.
Two tomatoes, cut into circles.
Four tablespoons of olive oil.
Seven cups of water.
Three quarters of a cup of lemon juice.

the filling

A cup of Egyptian rice, soaked and drained.
Two tomatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes.
Two tablespoons of mint leaves, finely chopped.
A bunch of parsley leaves, finely chopped.
A green pepper, finely chopped.
Small spoon of salt.
Half a teaspoon of black pepper.
Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
A teaspoon of dried mint.
Two tablespoons of pomegranate molasses.
Three quarters of a cup of olive oil.
Half a cup of lemon juice.

How to prepare

To prepare the filling, you must place the rice in a medium-sized bowl, along with the tomatoes, mint, parsley, pepper, olive oil, dried mint and lemon juice, and mix the ingredients with a spoon until they are completely combined and distributed.
Add the pomegranate molasses, season with salt, black pepper and cinnamon, and mix again until the filling is combined.
Take a grape leaf and spread it on a hard surface, place a tablespoon of the filling horizontally on the leaf, then fold the edges of the leaf inward and roll it into the shape of a finger, and repeat the process until the amount is finished.
In a deep pot, place the potato slices and tomato slices, and place the stuffed grape leaves on top of each other, then pour water until it covers the ingredients and leave the mixture to boil over low heat.
Add olive oil and lemon juice, cover the pot and leave the ingredients to boil for two hours.
Remove the pot from the heat, transfer it to a serving dish, and place the grape leaves dish in the refrigerator and serve it cold.