Vine Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice and Lemon

Soften the vine leaves. Put the vine leaves in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain again. This soak softens the leaves and washes off some of the brine, so they roll without tearing and don't taste overly salty.

Soak the rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear, then cover with cold water and soak for 15 minutes before draining well. Soaking lets the grains take up a little water upfront, which helps them cook evenly and swell properly once sealed inside the leaves. The rice goes into the filling completely raw.

Make the filling. Heat the 3 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes until soft. Take off the heat and mix in a large bowl with the raw soaked rice, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, parsley, mint, dill, allspice, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Softening the onion first takes the raw edge off it while leaving the rice completely uncooked, ready to swell inside the leaves as they simmer.

Roll the leaves. Lay a vine leaf vein-side up with the stem pointing towards you and cut away the tough stem. Spoon a scant tablespoon of filling across the bottom in an 8cm log, fold in the sides, then roll it up away from you, snug but not tight. Repeat to make about 36-40 rolls; rolling them loosely leaves room for the rice to expand as it absorbs liquid.

Pack the pot. Drizzle the 2 tbsp of olive oil over the base of the pot and line it with the sliced tomato and a few of the extra vine leaves. Pack the rolls seam-side down in tight layers, then pour over the water and half the lemon juice. Cover the top with the remaining extra leaves and weigh everything down with the upturned plate, which stops the rolls unravelling as the liquid bubbles beneath them.

Boil, then simmer. Cover the pot, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down low and simmer gently for 50-60 minutes, without lifting the lid, until the rice in a test roll is completely tender. The long, slow simmer gives the rice time to cook through gradually while the leaves soften into a tender, slightly tangy wrapper.

Add the remaining lemon juice. Pour the remaining lemon juice around the edge of the pot and continue simmering for a further 10 minutes. Adding the last of the lemon juice near the end keeps the flavour bright rather than cooking it away over the full hour. Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered to rest for 20 minutes.

Serve. Lift off and discard the lining leaves from the top, then carefully lift out the stuffed rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature with the yoghurt and lemon wedges, within 1 hour of cooking. Resting lets the rolls firm up slightly so they hold together neatly when served.