Description
This is one of the most popular cabbage recipes in Ukraine. Add some dried barberries, if you can find them, to lift the flavour a little. It's a delightful dish even if you don't include them
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 head sturdy cabbage, Savoy or Tundra work well, 12 leaves separated
- 500g beef mince
- 500g pork mince
- 160g rice, parboiled and drained
- 40g barberries (optional)
To serve:
- 100ml sour cream
- ½ small bunch dill, finely chopped
Instructions
- Make the sauce first. Heat the rapeseed oil in a heavy-based casserole. Fry half of the onion and the grated carrot over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until they just start to caramelise. Add the sugar and the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes and 400ml water.
- Blanch the whole cabbage leaves for 2 minutes in boiling water. Then refresh them in cold water and drain well on kitchen paper.
- Mix the minces, parboiled rice, barberries, seasoning and the remaining diced onion. Place 50g of the filling on to each cabbage leaf and fold into parcels.
- Place the parcels on top of the sauce in the casserole dish, folded side down, tucking them next to each other snugly so they do not unravel.
- Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with lots of chopped dill, sourdough bread and a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Notes
Makes 12 parcels