Romanian Sarmale Cabbage Rolls Recipes

AUTHENTIC ROMANIAN SAUERKRAUT STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the filling:
• In a large bowl place together ground meat, diced onions, rice, thyme, ground pepper and marjoram. Mix everything really well.
• Set aside.
• Make the cabbage rolls:
• Prepare the cabbage leaves by removing the core and the thickest part of each leaf. If the leaves are too big cut them in half.
• Grab a cabbage leaf and place 1 tablespoon of meat on it. Wrap the meat inside the cabbage leaf to obtain a neat roll.
• Place shredded cabbage on the bottom of the pot, then start adding the rolls.
• Optional, you can add a layer of bacon over each layer of rolls.
• Fill up the pot with cabbage rolls, then mix together the tomato juice and the paste and pour it over the rolls.
• Add water to cover the rolls.
• The final layer should be shredded cabbage.(use left over cabbage)
• Sprinkle more bacon, thyme and bay leaves and cover with a lid.
• Bake in the oven at 350F for about 2 hours.
• Remove the lid and allow the cabbage rolls to bake for another 30-45 minutes. You might notice the water evaporated, so you can add a little bit more, but do not fill up the pot again.
• Serve them warm with a dollop of sour cream on top, fresh bread or polenta and hot peppers.
• Crockpot: Follow the same method of making the rolls, but cook them in the crockpot on "Low" from 6-8 hours, or 4-5 hours on "high".
• Instant Pot: Follow the recipe as I describe it. Close the pot and press the "Pressure Cook"manual button setting the time for about 18-20 minutes. Do a natural pressure release.

VEGETARIAN SARMALE (ROMANIAN CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Filling: Chop 4 of the onions and grate one of the carrots. Saute them for a couple of minutes with about 2 Tbsp oil. Add the rice and continue to saute them for 10 minutes add a little water, but only a small amount to keep it from sticking.
• Add the tomato paste, the walnuts, and the granulated gluten. Season it with salt, pepper, a dash of soy sauce, and other seasonings you may want. Heat for a minute or two and then turn off the stove and let cool down a little.
• Remove the hard core of the cabbage. Ceave the cabbage in a bowl/pot with hot water and salt for 5-10 minutes (until the leaves can be removed easily, but it shouldn not stay too long because the leaves will be easily broken).
• Drain the cabbage and wait for it to cool off until you can work with it. Remove the spine from each leaf (leaving two halves with each leaf about the size of your hand). From the cabbage around 20 medium leaves should result. Some leaves may rip, but don't use those to add filling to, instead set aside.
• Chop the remaining onion and carrot, and the extra cabbage leaves that had been set aside because they had torn. Saute them in a large pot with a little oil. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Put 2-3 bay leaves over this mixture. Turn off the heat and set aside (this is not the filling, but where the cabbage rolls will later be placed).
• On every cabbage leaf place about 1 Tbsp of filling (the first mixture sauteed and put aside from direction steps 1 and 2) and roll. Roll by folding one of the width sides over the filling and then roll the length of it. One side should be still open, stuff that side inside with your finger to close. If there is too much filling to stuff the opened side inside then you can remove a little bit of the filling.
• In the large pot with the other sauteed vegetables lay down the cabbage rolls in a circle. Don't have them touching the sides of the pot. Put the heart of the cabbage or more chopped cabbage in the center of the pot with the cabbage rolls around it. The cabbage in the middle is there to keep the cabbage rolls in place while boiling. Once a circle has been made in the pot you can put more cabbage rolls on top of the last ones making another circle, etc.
• Boil enough water in another pot to cover the cabbage rolls. Add the lemon juice to the water if you want to add a little sour taste to them. Add the boiling water and lemon juice to the pot with the samales and make sure the samales are covered by the water. Place a large soup plate over them that covers them all and keeps them in place in the pot.
• Cook them on a low flame for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours and add water if necessary.

ROMANIAN SARMALE (CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Remove core from cabbage. In a large pot, bring to boil enough water to cover cabbage. Add 2 tablespoons salt and 1/4 cup vinegar to boiling water. Immerse cabbage in boiling water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes. With fork or tongs, gently remove leaves as they become tender. Drain well; let cool. Trim main leaf vein so it is flat like rest of cabbage leaf.
• In a large frying pan over medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, bacon, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley leaves and saute until light golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 1/2 hour.
• Add ground pork, rice and sauteed onions together along with 1/2 cup water, and mix well. This is the meat filling.
• Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat filling in center of cabbage leaf. Fold right hand side of leaf over filling, then roll from base to bottom of leaf, then with index finger gently tuck left hand side of leaf into cabbage roll to make a nice neat roll. Squeeze juice out of sauerkraut and place 1/2 of jar on bottom of pot. Chop any leftover cabbage and place on top of sauerkraut. Place pork hock on top of sauerkraut. Arrange cabbage rolls, seam side down in pot in neat layers. Place them loosely touching each other and layer on top of one another. Sprinkle with salt between layers. Place second half of sauerkraut on top of cabbage rolls. Spread tomato sauce and tomato juice over kraut and place 1 bay leaf (and optional dill sprig) on top. Cover rolls with water just enough to cover rolls. Place heavy dish on top making sure there is a couple inches between plate on top of pot. Cover pot and bring to boiling and reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 2 hours.
• Serve with sour cream and mamaliga for a real romanian dish.