Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are umami in Hungary. Summer savory, dill with smoked bacon topped with sour cream lifts this dish to a new dimension. Cabbage rolls are magical: healthy, flavorful with umami. We Transylvanians use summer savory and dill herbs. But adding smoked uncured meat or bacon just lifts this dish to a new dimension. Did I mention sour cream? - The dish is gentle on your stomach, and disappears from my guests’ plate silently…Seconds are frequent request. Don't miss my sister recipe Stuffed Swiss Chard.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Hungarian Töltött Káposzta)
Cabbage rolls are magical: healthy, flavorful with umami. We Transylvanians use summer savory and dill herbs. But adding smoked uncured pork or bacon just lifts this dish to a new dimension. Did I mention sour cream? - The dish is gentle on your stomach, and disappears from my guests’ plate silently…Seconds are frequent request.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven 6 Qt
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage
- ¾ cup brown rice uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1.5 oz onion
- 1 handful fresh dill
- 1 tsp Summer Savory
- 4 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Vegeta
Instructions
- Cook rice: bring water to boil. Add rice, Vegeta and stir. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 25 min. Let it cool.
- In the meantime, soften the cabbage leaves: cut center core out of cabbage and place, core side down, in boiling water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Lift cabbage out from the water with a fork and a wooden spoon onto a big plate. Keep the water in the pot for repeated use. Carefully remove leaves from cabbage, one by one, cutting away from the core with a small knife. Pile up the leaves in a plate. Cut off the thick spine in the center. After removing 3 leaves, return the cabbage to the pot with the boiling water for a few minutes to soften. Repeat. You will need about 16-18 leaves. Set aside.
- Mix filling in a large bowl: cooked rice, meat, salt, pepper, grated onion. Set aside.
- Take a small piece of meat mix with a tablespoon and fill and roll up the leaves.
- Set aside stuffed rolls on a plate.
- Chop up the rest of the half-cooked cabbage, except 2 large leaves.
- If you use sauerkraut, mix it with the chopped cabbage.
- Place half of the cabbage mix in the bottom of a big cooking pot. Pile up all the prepared rolls in layers on top of the chopped cabbage. Top the rolls with the 2 extra leaves saved.
- In a large bowl measure 6 cups water. Stir into the water 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp Vegeta, chopped dill and summer savory. Add hot chili if you want.
- Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, covered.
- At the end add the lemon juice.
- If you can eat dairy, serve it with sour cream. Decorate the top with fresh dill.
