Fresh grape leaves grow on vines.
Grape leaves are often featured in Greek dishes. Other types of cuisine that make use of grape leaves include Romanian, Vietnamese, Arab, Turkish and Bulgarian. One of the most well-known dishes made with grape leaves is dolmas, which are grape leaves stuffed with vegetables, nuts, rice or meat. To make dolmas, and many other kinds of grape leaf dishes, it is best to slightly cook the leaves first. Using a pressure cooker can speed up the process of cooking fresh grape leaves.
Instructions
1. Cut the grape leaves off the vine, if they are still attached. If you plan to eventually stuff the leaves, ensure that they are at least as big as the palm of your hand so that they are large enough to hold the fillings.
2. Fill a clean sink with cold water and gently clean your grape leaves. Drain the water and then fill the sink again. Clean the leaves one more time, and then set them on a paper towel-covered rack to drain for at least half an hour.
3. Stack the cleaned and drained grape leaves together, and roll them into a tight bundle. Place 6 to 20 leaves in each stack. Secure the bundles with kitchen twine or heavy-duty thread.
4. Prepare the pressure cooker, according to your operating manual -- different pressure cooker brands have their own unique operating features. You can either submerge the leaves in salted water or steam them on a rack.
5. Cook or steam the leaves for 10 to 15 minutes. If you will be filling and cooking the leaves again at a later time, do not leave them in the pressure cooker for longer than 10 minutes.
6. Take the finished bundles of grape leaves out of the pressure cooker and place them on a rack to cool. Refrigerate and use them within 24 hours, or freeze them in airtight plastic bags once they are completely cool.
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