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.
Servings 8
Calories 163kcal
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.