Stuffed Nasturtium Leaves is a modern Fusion recipe for a classic vegetarian dish of large (saucer-sized) nasturtium leaves stuffed with a mix of onions, rice, currants, parsley and pine nuts that are packed into a casserole dish and vegetable stock, lemon juice and oil. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Fusion version of: Stuffed Nasturtium Leaves.
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Dolmas or dolmades are found everywhere from the balkans, through the Caucasus and back to North Africa. This recipe is a fusion of those basic recipes (that typically use vine leaves or cabbage leaves) adapted to make use of large nasturtium leaves, that can also be stuffed to great effect. This is a vegetarian version, but I will also add a lamb-based recipe on this site.
Ingredients:
For the Stuffing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g risotto (short-grain) rice
1 tbsp lemon juice
50g currants
50g pine nuts
1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
a generous pinch each of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, fennel seeds and coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dried mint, crumbled
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Leaves: nasturtium leaves (about 30), washed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
250ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the onion and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil then add the lemon juice, currants, pine nuts, parsley, spices, mint and seasonings. Cook over gentle heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
When the filling has cooled, take one of your nasturtium leaves and set it with the underside (where the veins are) uppermost. Place a teaspoon of the filling mix near the centre of the leaf. Fold the two sides over the filling. Then, starting with the stem end of the leaf roll it tightly and neatly around the filling to form a parcel.
Combine the olive oil and lemon juice in a cast iron casserole (Dutch oven). Pack in the stuffed nasturtium leaves tightly (this prevents them from unrolling). Whisk together the vegetable stock and tomato puree then pour over the stuffed leaves. Secure a tight-fitting lid then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
