Zubereitung

1. 1

   Take the vine leaves out of the jar, unfold them carefully and soak them in a large bowl of cold water to draw out the brine; change the water once.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, pick over the lentils, rinse them in a sieve and cook them in a pot with plenty of unsalted water until al dente; they should become soft but not fall apart, as they will continue cooking in the pot later.

3. 3

   Drain the lentils well. Wash the rice in a bowl of cold water until the water stays almost clear and drain it in a sieve; peel the onions and dice them very finely.

4. 4

   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sweat the onions in it until soft and pale yellow, then stir in the tomato paste and red pepper paste and toast briefly until fragrant.

5. 5

   Take the pan off the heat and mix in the lentils, rice, mint, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper thoroughly; the rice stays raw and only cooks in the pot. Leave the filling to cool a little until you can handle it.

6. 6

   Drain the vine leaves and snip off the stems right at the base of the leaf with kitchen scissors. Set aside about 8 torn or too-small leaves; they go on the bottom of the pot.

7. 7

   Lay a leaf on a board, shiny side down and stem end towards you, place a heaped teaspoon of filling crosswise along the stem end in a small sausage shape, fold the bottom of the leaf over it and tuck in both sides. Roll it up firmly but not too tightly into a finger-thick roll, as the rice will still swell, and set it down with the leaf tip underneath; you will get about 45 rolls.

8. 8

   Line the bottom of a wide, heavy pot with the leaves you set aside. Pack the rolls in snugly, seam side down, in circles from the edge to the centre, laying the next layer crosswise over the first.

9. 9

   Stir the hot water together with the lemon juice, the olive oil for the cooking liquid and the salt and pour it in at the edge until the rolls are just covered. Place an upturned plate that just fits inside the pot on top and press down lightly so that nothing unrolls.

10. 10

    Bring to the boil once, then put the lid on and simmer the rolls gently over a low heat until the rice is soft and the cooking liquid has almost been absorbed.

11. 11

    Lift the lid away from you, as hot steam escapes, and cut a roll open: the rice and lentils should be soft; if not, add a splash of hot water and cook for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rolls to cool until lukewarm in the uncovered pot with the plate still on top so that they firm up.

12. 12

    Carefully lift the rolls out layer by layer with a spoon onto a platter, drizzle with a little cooking liquid from the pot and serve with the lemon wedges.

13. 13

    Tip: Unlike Îprax — Tangy Braised Vine Leaves with Rice and Minced Meat, this version contains no meat and no dairy at all; if you are not eating vegan, serve Mast — homemade yogurt alongside. Cool leftovers quickly, put them in the fridge within two hours at the latest and use them up within a day. Leave the rolls to stand at room temperature for half an hour before eating; that is when the aroma of mint and pomegranate comes through best.