Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are minced meat wrapped in cabbage leaves with rice and spices; the same dish is also known as sarmi and sarmale. In one variation of the recipe, grape leaves are used instead of cabbage leaves.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 90 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 1
  • Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 800 g Cabbage, fresh

  • 2 piece Onion, raw

  • 40 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 50 g Rice, white, long grain

  • 350 g Meat, pork, ground

  • 1 teaspoon Salt, table

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, pepper, black

  • 1 bouquet Parsley, fresh

  • 1 piece Egg, fresh

  • 1 piece Spices, bay (leaves)

  • 2 dl Water

Steps

  1. Wash the cabbage, remove the core, and separate it into leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the leaves for a few minutes, just enough to wilt and soften them. Select ten nice leaves and flatten the thicker ribs. Chop the remaining cabbage into strips.

  2. Peel the onion and garlic. Mince the garlic. Melt butter in a pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and minced meat, mix well, and add the rice. Cook until the meat browns. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and let it cool. Wash, shake dry, and chop the parsley. Mix the parsley and egg into the meat mixture with your hands until well combined. Place portions of the mixture onto the cabbage leaves and roll them up. Tuck the ends of the rolls inward to prevent them from unraveling.

  3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a baking dish, sprinkle the bottom with chopped cabbage, arrange the rolls on top, and sprinkle with more chopped cabbage. Add a bay leaf and pour in water. Place in the preheated oven and bake for one hour. Serve the prepared rolls on plates, garnish with chopped cabbage, and drizzle with the cooking liquid.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 114.28 kcal
  • Fat: 7.07 g
    • Saturated Fat: 2.96 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.8 g
    • Sugars: 2.15 g
  • Protein: 4.65 g
  • Fiber: 1.21 g

Advice

Instead of fresh cabbage, you can use a head of sauerkraut. True cabbage rolls are said to be very small – each one bite-sized. Of course, preparing such small rolls requires more work.