Main
Sarmale (Romanian stuffed cabbage rolls)
- Preparation time
- 1 h 15
- Servings
- serves 6
Ingredients
- White cabbage — to buy1
- Ground beef — to buy300 g
- Pork — to buy300 g
- Rice — to buy100 g
- Onion — to buy200 g
- Tomato — to buy400 g
- Feuille de laurier — to buy2 leaves
Preparation
Remove the core from the cabbage and dip it whole for 2-3 minutes in a large pot of salted boiling water to soften the leaves, then gently peel them off one by one.
Finely slice the onion and sauté it for 8 minutes in a little oil until soft, let cool slightly.
In a bowl, mix the minced beef and pork with the raw rice and cooked onion, season generously with salt and pepper.
Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each cabbage leaf, fold in the sides then roll tightly to form a small, snug parcel.
Line the bottom of a large pot with a few torn cabbage leaves, arrange the sarmale snugly in layers.
Cover with crushed tomatoes and bay leaves, add water to cover, cover the pot and simmer very gently for 2 hours.
Check the doneness: the rice should be tender and the leaves soft; add a little water if it starts to stick.
Serve piping hot with sour cream and a little chilli, alongside mămăligă.