My Egyptian grandfather used to make them for us all the time. If I remember correctly he bought the vine leaves in brine. He would mix some un-cooked Egyptian rice which is a plump short-grain rice, with onions, tomatoes, garlic and cumin. He would place a tbsp of the rice mixture in the middle of the leaf and then roll it up. He then placed them in a pot, poured enough water over them to cover and added lemon juice. Cook for just over an hour until rice is cooked.
One of my fave dishes.