Vine leaves filled with rice, spring onions and herbs
Japrak are stuffed leaf parcels found in Albanian cooking. This meat-free version uses vine leaves, rice, spring onions, dill, parsley and mint. The photograph shows a serving with a yogurt sauce; yogurt is optional in this recipe.
- Prep
- 35 mins
- Cook
- 45 mins
- Rest
- 10 mins
- Total
- 1 hour 30 mins
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Cuisine
- Albanian
The recipe
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Before you start
Rinse the brined leaves and remove tough stalks. Follow the jar instructions if they need blanching. Reserve torn leaves to line the pot. Use a small, heavy saucepan and a heatproof plate that fits inside.
Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Small heavy lidded saucepan paid link
- frying pan paid link
- heatproof plate paid link
- board paid link
- knife paid link
- kitchen scale paid link
- slotted spoon paid link
Method
Soften the spring onions in 30 ml oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed rice for 1 minute. Remove from heat; add the herbs, pepper and salt. Cool briefly.
Lay each leaf vein-side up. Put a small spoonful of filling near its base, fold in the sides and roll loosely towards the tip. Leave room for the rice to expand.
Line the pot with spare leaves. Pack the rolls seam-side down in close layers. Add lemon juice, remaining oil and hot water to just cover, adding a little more if needed.
Place the heatproof plate on top. Cover and simmer gently for 35–40 minutes, until the rice is tender. Rest for 10 minutes, then lift out carefully.
Chef’s notes
Use less filling for smaller leaves. Tight rolls can split as the rice swells. A gentle simmer keeps the parcels from knocking apart; the plate helps them stay in place.
Tips and variations
Brined leaves differ in saltiness. Rinse thoroughly and reduce the added salt if necessary. These parcels contain no meat; meat-filled variations need their own cooking checks.
Serve with
Serve five parcels per person as a starter. Offer yogurt separately, especially when accommodating guests who avoid milk.
Storage
Cool promptly in shallow containers, ideally within 1 hour. Refrigerate and use within 24 hours because the filling contains rice. Serve chilled after safe storage or reheat once until steaming hot.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
Nutrition has not been calculated. Portion size and the brands used will affect the final values.
Allergens
Optional yogurt contains milk. Check jarred leaves for sulphites or other declared allergens. Do not assume a packaged ingredient is allergen-free.
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Questions
Can I use fresh leaves? Only use positively identified edible vine leaves that have not been treated with unsuitable sprays, and blanch until pliable. Jarred leaves are specified for this recipe.
What if the rice is still firm? Add a little hot water, cover and continue simmering.
Are the flower garnishes required? No. Decorative garnishes in the source photograph are not part of this recipe.
