LEAN VINE LEAVES SARMA

When I have vine leaves, I always prepare sarma with minced meat and rice. This time I experimented a bit and made a lean version with rice, onions and carrots. I also added the regular spices and a little tomato sauce in the filling. The result was awesome. Fermented milk goes excellent with this type of food and with spinach. It was sooo good.  You can cook it on a hotplate or in the oven, though I prefer the hotplate.

• 50-60 vine leaves (depending on your baking pan size)
• 300 g rice
• 2 carrots
• 2 heads of onions
• a little oil and water as needed
• Vegeta, black pepper, 1 tbs paprika, 1 tbs corn flour
• 150 ml tomato sauce

1. Boil the leaves slightly, about 5 minutes so they soften. I keep mine in the freezer so I only defrost them and they came out soft. If fresh, they need just a little boiling.
2. Chop the onions and carrots, I used a food chopper. Put them on fire with some oil. Stir and fry shortly, then add the rice. Leave to fry with constant stirring until the veggies soften.
3. Add 1 tbs vegeta, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tbs paprika. Add about 50 ml tomato sauce. Mix.
4. Put 1 tbs of this mixture in each leaf and roll the sarma.
   
   
   
5. Arrange sarma in a deeper pot or other suitable cookware.
6. Add water to cover sarma and put to cook covered at medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
7. In the end, in a cup of cold water, add 1 tbs of corn flour and the tomato sauce. Mix and add this mixture in the pot. Leave to cook for 5 more minutes.
8. Combine with fermented milk or sour cream. Consume warm.