Lean sarma with Swiss chard - according to my grandmother's recipe (vegetarian)

Ingredients:

20 chard leaves,

3 heads of onion (smaller size),

3 carrots (medium size),

1 leek (smaller size),

300g of rice,

5 tablespoons of homemade tomato juice,

5 tablespoons of oil,

4 peppercorns,

1 teaspoon of allspice (sweet),

to taste: salt, spice C, ground pepper and parsley.

Preparation:

Wash the rice in at least 5 cups of water, then pour hot water from the water heater and let it stand while the rest of the preparation continues.

Pour 3 liters of water and a spoonful of salt into the pot. When it starts to boil, throw in three chard leaves each, check with barbecue tongs whether they are pliable and take out in a colander. Keep it in the water for half a minute.

Preparation of the filling:

Oil a deep frying pan with 5 spoons of oil, add the onion cut into thin ribs and cut in half. Add salt and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add 3 finely grated carrots, 3 tablespoons of homemade tomato juice and simmer for another 4 minutes on low heat. Reduce the stove to the lowest temperature, add rice, 1 teaspoon of allspice, salt, spice C and ground pepper to taste. Mix everything well, remove from the heat and stuff the Swiss chard.

Cut the root and turn the leaf across, put a spoonful of filling, fold the outer sides and roll up. Arrange them in a pan, then add 2 tablespoons of tomato juice, 4 grains of pepper, a little salt, 1 teaspoon of spice C and 300ml to 400ml of water. The water should cover the vines.

Simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours.

After that, you will have real pleasure on your plate.

Enjoy!

By Ivana Kostić