Pick the tender grape leaves, leaving the stems intact. Delicately, wash the leaves and stack them underside up, with the stems on top of each other. Group about every 20 leaves in one stack. Bring about 8 cups of salted water to a boil and blanch one stack at a time. Leave it about 30 seconds until they wilt enough to wilt and turn darker green. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to cool down completely. If using preserved grape leaves simply rinse and drain them.

Using a sharp knife, trim the stem (if it is still on the leaf) and discard.

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes, transfer to a mesh-strainer and rinse under running cold water and drain.

In a deep bowl, mix the rice, parsley, mint, onions, tomatoes, salt, cinnamon powder, sevenspice, cayenne (if used), Lebanese coffee (the secret ingredient), lemon juice, olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Mix well to infuse everything together. Drain the liquid from the mix. Your stuffing is ready now, save the liquid, it its liquid gold, it captures all the umami flavors.

Spread each grape leaf on a flat surface with the veiny side up.

Place a spoonful of the stuffing close to the bottom of the leaf and line it up horizontally. Fold both sides and roll from the bottom to the top.

Repeat the process with the remaining grape leaves.

In a large pot, transfer the potato discs to a large pot, and distribute them evenly in one layer. Stack 1 large tomato in the center of the pot.

Neatly and tightly stack the grape leaves around the tomato in a circular rhythm. Be sure that the seam of the leaves are facing downwards to prevent it from unravelling during cooking.

Mix the liquid retained from the stuffing and pour over the stuffed leaves, pour the 1/3 cup of water, taste the salt, and adjust it to your liking

Cover with a heatproof plate, place on medium to high heat until it is brought to a boiling point. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about one hour or until fully cooked. Remove from heat and keep it in the pot until it it lukewarm. This will help the grape leaves absorb some of the liquid in the pot, making your grape leaves more juicy. Happy eating.

Transfer them to a shallow serving dish and decorate with lemon wedges, douse the grape leaves with the remaining dense lemony liquid in the pot for more juicy flavor. Watch the detailed video tutorial above. It is very helpful!