World Recipe: Yabra

25 Oct World Recipe: Yabra

From Algeria comes Yabra, a traditional dish that combines vine leaves with a filling of minced meat, rice and spices. Slow cooking allows the flavours to blend together, while the leaves absorb the juices from the meat and fruit. The result is an aromatic dish that can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Ingredients

• 1 jar of vine leaves
• ½ kg minced meat
• 3 tablespoons uncooked rice
• ½ teaspoon Turkish baharat pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• Lemon juice
• 2 fresh apricots or green apples
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak the vine leaves in hot water with a little lemon juice for 5 minutes. Then drain them and allow them to cool.
• To prepare the filling, finely chop the garlic and mix it with the meat, uncooked rice, baharat pepper, salt and a splash of lemon juice. Place one teaspoon of the mixture in the centre of each leaf and carefully wrap it, forming small rolls.
• Cut the apricots or green apples into thin slices and cover the bottom of a pot with them. Arrange the vine leaf rolls on top and place another layer of fruit over them. Cover everything with a ceramic plate to keep the leaves in place during cooking.

Cook over low heat for approximately one and a half hours. When ready, serve the Yabra hot or allow it to cool and enjoy it cold.