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Japrak - Baked Stuffed Grape Leaves in Tomato Sauce
Easy recipe for delicious Bosnian (oven baked) stuffed grape vine leaves in tomato sauce
EQUIPMENT
- 1 baking pot with a lid
INGREDIENTS
- 30 grape vine leaves
- 500 g ground meat
- 130 g rice
- 300 g tomato sauce
- 1 onion
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- fresh parsley
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Rinse the grapevine leaves and bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you wait, soak the rice in water for about 20 minutes.
- Once the water is boiling, dip the grape leaves in for about 1 minute on each side. Take them out and let them cool.
- While the leaves are cooling, finely chop 3 garlic cloves and 1 onion. If you love garlic, feel free to add more.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, soaked rice, chopped onion and garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and sweet paprika.
- Mix everything really well. Ensure the herbs and spices blend into the meat evenly.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each grape leaf. Fold the bottom over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll it up like a small cigar. Don’t roll too tightly, as the rice will expand while cooking.
- Place the rolled japraks into a greased baking dish. Pack them in snugly, but leave a little space for the sauce to spread around them.
- In a small pan, sauté the remaining garlic in a little oil. Add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, salt, and pepper. You don’t need to cook the sauce—just pour it over the japrak in the dish.
- Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes until the tops are slightly browned and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve warm with bread, mashed potatoes, polenta, or your favorite side. Enjoy!
NOTES
Use young grape leaves—they’re softer and easier to roll. Older ones can be tough, even after blanching.
Don’t overfill. About one tablespoon of filling per leaf is just right.
Roll the rice loosely so it has room to expand while cooking.
Pack the rolls close together, but not too tightly—leave space for the sauce to flow.
A splash of white wine in the sauce adds depth (the alcohol cooks off as it bakes).
Japrak keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days and reheats easily in the oven.
It also freezes well. Let it cool, then portion into freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, or cornbread. Add a spoonful of kajmak or sour cream on top. For dessert, try tufahije and a glass of dry white wine.
To preserve grape leaves for winter, blanch young leaves, roll them up, and pack them in jars. Cover with cooled salted water (1 tbsp salt per liter of water), seal, and store in a cool, dark place.
Nutrition
Serving: 10.6oz | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1754mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 766IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5mg