What are Haman holipches you ask? Good question! Traditional holipches refers to stuffed cabbage – one of my favorite traditional foods growing up, but this version uses leeks instead of cabbage, and they’re wrapped up in the same style of samosas, to form a perfect triangle – just the thing for Purim! (watch the Instagram reel to see how it’s done!).
I’m a huge fan of leeks (it’s my favorite part of the chicken soup!), so when I saw some variations on this recipe on Instagram, I knew I had to jump on the trend and create my own version, inspired by some Persian flavors including apricot and mint.
These Purim pockets honor the tradition of eating kreplach during the holiday, because their hidden filling symbolizes the hidden nature of the Purim miracle. Kind of like why we eat hamantaschen too!
Haman Holipches
3 leeks
1.15 lbs. ground beef (not lean)
3/4 cup jasmine or basmati rice (raw)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sliced dried apricots
1 thai red chili, minced
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
Sauce:
2 cups water
1/3 cup silan
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. While the water boils, trim the leeks by removing the root and the dark green tops. Cut along the length of the leeks and peel the first few layers apart until the peels are no longer wide enough to use for filling (depending on the thickness of the leeks, you should be able to use the first 6 layers or so).
Wash the leek peels well to remove dirt and transfer to the boiling water to blanch for 2 minutes – until softened and pliable. Transfer to a paper towel.
Finely chop the leftover leek (that was too narrow to use for wrapping) until you have 1/2 cup.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, chopped leek, garlic, chili pepper, apricots, mint, parsley and spices. Mix until fully incorporated.
Working with 1 sheet of leek at a time, place a large spoonful of filling in the top corner of the leek and fold it over in a triangular pattern, folding it over itself repeatedly until you have a single triangular shaped pocket.
Layer the pockets into a Pyrex dish, overlapping slightly.
In a large measuring cup, combine the sauce ingredients. Pour over the leeks. Wrap with a layer of parchment paper and foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover, raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees and continue to cook, uncovered, until the leeks start to brown around the edges and the sauce thickens, about 20-25 minutes.
Related Recipes:
cabbage hamantasch knish
wonton beef empanadas
salmon en croute with creamed leeks
