Koupepia Recipe; Tasty Cypriot Stuffed Grape Leaves

Koupepia is a traditional Greek dish popular in Greece and Cyprus. It is a flavorful combination of meat, herbs, and rice wrapped in vine leaves. Not only is this dish delicious, but it’s also easy to make. This Koupepia recipe provides step-by-step instructions for making the perfect batch of Koupepia.

How to Make Koupepia?

Ingredients

• 60 large vine leaves fresh (in season) or from a jar 
• Few more vine leaves to cover the bottom of the pot 
• 700 grams of minced lamb or beef (or mixed) 
• 200 ml olive oil 
• 100 grams of tomato paste dissolved in 200 grams of water 
• 100 grams of glazed rice 
• 250 grams of dry onions
• 1 bunch of chopped parsley
• 1/2 bunch of fresh mint 
• 2 – 3 lemons 
• 200 grams of canned tomatoes
• Salt and white pepper as needed

Directions

Step One

If we take fresh vine leaves, wash them well and blanch them in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.

Step Two

Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain well. If you use vine leaves from a jar, rinse them very well. They don’t need scalding.

Step Three

In a saucepan, saute the onion in 50 ml of the measured olive oil, over low heat, for 3-4 minutes until soft and golden.

Step Four

Add the minced meat to the onion and saute it until it is roasted and mushy. Remove the pot from the heat. 

Step Five

Add the rest of the ingredients (rice, diluted tomato paste, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper and the rest of the olive oil) to the minced meat, except for the tomato paste. Mix the ingredients until well combined.

Step Six

Open the vine leaves one by one slowly, put 1 teaspoon of the filling mixture at the center of each leaf and cover it with the left and right sides of the leaf.

Step Seven

We then fold over the filling and the other sides of the leaf alternately, continuing until a small bundle is formed.

Step Eight

Wrap all the leaves tightly in the same way so that the flaps do not open. Now, place a few vine leaves on the bottom of the pot so that the Koupepia does not stick during cooking. 

Step Nine

Put them in a circle in rows in the pot, with the joint of the wrapping facing down so that they do not open.

Step Ten

Add the tomato paste and enough water to cover them—cook the Koupepia on low heat for about one and a half hours.

How to Serve Koupepia?

Remove the Koupepia from the heat and let them cool. Serve Koupepias in a dish and enjoy! You can accompany the Koupepia with yogurt and bread.

If you like Koupepia, we recommend you try stuffed cabbage dolma!

FAQs about Koupepia

• How much time does it take to cook Koupepia?

Assuming you are cooking Koupepia from scratch, it will take approximately 2 hours to make this dish.

• Should I use minced lamb or minced beef to make Koupepia?

You can use minced lamb, beef, or a mixture of them to make Koupepia.