North Africa · Main

Mahshi Warak Enab (Grape Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice and Minced Meat)

Name: Mahshi Warak Enab (Grape Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice and Minced Meat)
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Egypt
Ingredients: 300 g preserved grape leaves, drained and rinsed; 350 g Egyptian short-grain rice (or Calrose), rinsed and drained; 250 g minced beef (15% fat); 200 g yellow onions, finely diced; 200 g crushed tomato passata; 30 g tomato paste; 30 g fresh dill, finely chopped; 30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 20 g fresh spearmint, finely chopped; 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 60 ml fresh lemon juice; 600 ml rich beef broth; 5 g ground cumin; 5 g ground coriander; 4 g fine sea salt; 3 g ground black pepper

Tender vine leaves tightly rolled around fragrant spiced beef and herbed rice, simmered in rich lemon-infused broth.

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egyptian-classicstuffed-leavesrice-and-meatcomfort-food

The story

Deeply rooted across the Nile Delta and Cairo households, Mahshi Warak Enab is the undisputed centerpiece of Egyptian Friday family banquets and festive celebratory tables. Unlike Levantine versions that are frequently served cold in olive oil, Egyptian grape leaves are served steaming hot, featuring a vibrant mixture of short-grain rice, fresh herbs, and minced beef. A crucial historical kitchen practice is weighting down the layered rolls with an inverted heavy porcelain plate inside the pot, which prevents turbulent boiling broth from unraveling the delicate parcels.

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