Mix together the rice, meat, cilantro, and dill. Add the grated onion and the tomato paste. Mix up these ingredients and set aside.
Rinse the grape leaves and cut off any stems. Separate the leaves. Place the stuffing in the center of a leaf, wrap up the sides first, then roll and secure with top of leaf. It will take approximately 1/2 hour to stuff and roll all the leaves. [Julie's note: I had never done this before, so I was a bit nervous. I placed each leaf so a point faced me. I put a small handful of meat horizontally in the center of the leaf, then folded up the sides and rolled from the top down toward me. I made 30 rolls with the filling, but they were large. You could use a smaller amount of filling, approximately 1 tablespoon, to make smaller rolls. The filling does expand as the rice cooks.]
Place the rolls in a pot, on top of the chicken bones, which you can lay out to cover the bottom. Pack the rolls tightly in the pot. Add water to cover. Place a plate upside-down on top of the leaves so they don't rise to the surface and splash everything around. [Julie's note: I have a large pasta pot with a steamer insert. I put the chicken bones on the bottom, the rolled leaves on top, and I used the steamer insert to hold everything down.]
Leave on a small flame for 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Cover pot while simmering. Add salt and pepper as you cook – the water should be salty. Taste and correct if necessary.
After the grape leaves are thoroughly cooked (taste to check – the rice should be soft), remove from the pot one at a time and place on a plate. Serve warm. If preparing in advance, store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature or reheat in a microwave before serving. |