Passport & Plate - Ojas de Parra (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
USA | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
1 16 oz. jar of grape leaves (can buy fresh)
4 cups of white Jasmine rice
3 cups of ground beef
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 package of beef ribs with bone
4 tbsp of olive oil
Curry powder (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic salt (to taste)
Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
3 Limes or lemons
Chicken broth (read amount in recipe)
Scissors
7-10 inch deep pot
Serve with Labne or Greek Yogurt
How to prepare this recipeRice/Meat Stuffing:
First, finely chop onion and tomato and set them to the side. Next, pour four cups of rice into the mixing bowl following by the ground beef. Add the onions and tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and curry to taste. Pour in the olive oil. Mix everything well using your washed hands.
Grape Leaves:
Open the jar, remove the leaves and rinse leaves with water to rid of the brine they have been soaking in. With scissors, cut off the stem of each leaf. Set to the side. Next, you’ll need a pot about 7-10 inches deep. Place 4-5 leaves on the bottom to prevent the rest from “sticking” to the bottom. Now, it’s time to stuff. Gather your friends and family for help and fun! On a plate, place a leaf, veins facing up (this is important). Next, take a chunk of the mixture, about as thick and big as your thumb, at the bottom center-edge of the leave, where the stem was cut off. Fold the left bottom edge over the stuffing then the right edge. Next, fold the sides, tucking them in tightly, then roll, tuck, and roll again until complete. After the rolling is complete, place at the bottom of the pot, outlining the outer edge of each layer first and then onto the center. Repeat this with each leaf until you’ve done about two or three layers.
Beef Ribs:
After two or three layers, It’s time to prepare the beef ribs which will cook in between the grape leaf layers and add flavor. Unpack the ribs and rinse them. Place them in a bowl and marinate them by adding salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Next, place the raw marinated beef ribs on top of the grape leaves in the pot. Then, finish rolling and covering the pot with grape leaves (about 2 more layers).
Once completed, pour chicken broth in a bowl, squeeze in limes or lemons and mix. Then, pour mixture over the leaves, just enough to cover the grape leaves. Cover the pot with a lid, set on medium heat and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Serve with yogurt and enjoy!
The story behind this recipeMost people who are fortunate enough to still walk into grandma’s kitchen may feel love, excitement and the flavors and aromas of all things family. I feel most of those things, but when I smell ojas de parra, Spanish for stuffed grape leaves or dolmas, I feel alive, like I am connecting with a part of me, a land so far, that I never knew.
I am an American of Arab-Mexican descent. What does that mean? Since the early 1900s there existed a large population of Middle Eastern immigrants in Latin America. This may explain, for example, Shakira, a Lebanese Colombian, or Carlos Slim, Lebanese Mexican. I, however, am Palestinian-Mexican both maternally and paternally. Today, much of the Arab community in Mexico consists of third and fourth generations. While many of the customs have come and gone, like the Arabic language, food continues to permeate the walls of most Arab descendants’ homes. On special occasions we make Middle Eastern food, not Mexican.
Yet, as adaptation and assimilation patterns began developing within the community, some recipes continued changing to adopt Mexican ingredients and dishes. And, such was reciprocated with Mexicans adopting Arab culinary traditions, tacos al pastor being a prime example. For much of the new generation, especially the women, learning to make the food is a responsibility we, generally speaking, deem an important aspect for transmitting culture and group identity.
Ojas de parra, stuffed grape leaves, is one of the first dishes women learn to make because it is a labor-intensive dish often prepared as a group. As a young girl, I remember the women from the family gathering in grandma’s kitchen to make ojas de parra. Some would chop, others would mix, but everyone would sit together to stuff, roll and talk about life. Today, my mom and I prepare these together or I make them with my close girlfriends.
For me, each leaf is rolled with flavors of culture, history and identity. It is who I am, and who I hope to share with others.
