Sarmale (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)
Sarma
Romania's most cherished dish and the centrepiece of every holiday table — minced pork and rice seasoned with thyme and smoked meat rolled into sour cabbage leaves, slow-braised in tomato juice with smoked ribs for hours until deeply flavourful.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Hard
Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min
Ingredients
Method
Sauté the onion in oil until soft. Mix with the minced pork, raw rice, thyme, dill seeds, salt and pepper.
About 5 min
Lay a cabbage leaf flat. Trim the thick rib so the leaf lies flat. Place 2 tbsp filling near the base. Fold the sides in and roll up firmly, tucking the ends in.
About 11 min
Line the base of a large heavy pot with extra cabbage leaves (this prevents burning). Layer the rolls tightly packed, placing smoked ribs between the layers. Add bay leaves.
About 11 min
Pour tomato juice and stock over everything. The liquid should barely cover the rolls — add more stock if needed.
About 11 min
Cover tightly and cook on very low heat for 2.5–3 hours. Check occasionally and add liquid if needed. The sarmale is done when the leaves are very tender and the filling is cooked through.
About 11 min
Serve with a very generous dollop of sour cream and fresh dill. Sarmale is always better the next day and improves for 3 days as the flavours develop.
About 3 min
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 820 mg
Contains: dairy
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Recipe by Boon Tools.