Recipe

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Traditional dish of pork and beef in sour cabbage leaves. Winter favorite of Balkan cuisine.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls takes about 165 minutes and makes 6 servings. Each serving has 624 kcal.

Preparation
45 minutes
Cooking
120 minutes
Total time
165 minutes
Servings
6
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - finished dish

Nutrition per serving

Calories
624 kcal
Protein
31.6 g
Carbohydrates
38.1 g
Fat
38.6 g

Ingredients

  • Sour cabbage heads1 pc
  • Ground pork400 g
  • Ground beef400 g
  • Long-grain rice150 g
  • Red onion2 pcs
  • Garlic3 cloves
  • Smoked pork (ribs or ham)200 g
  • Tomato paste3 tbsp
  • Bay leaf3 pcs
  • Paprika1 tbsp
  • Salt1 pinch
  • Pepper1 pinch
  • Olive oil3 tbsp

Instructions

  1. 1

    Carefully separate sour cabbage leaves so they do not tear. If too sour, rinse in water. Cut medium leaves to suitable rolling size (about 12x15 cm).

    Tip: Leaf tips are often too thick - trim the vein or cut off the thick part for softer leaves.

  2. 2

    Rinse rice and cook in salted water for 8 minutes until half-done. Drain and let cool.

  3. 3

    Finely chop the onion. Crush the garlic. In a large bowl, mix ground meat, cooled rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands.

  4. 4

    Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on each leaf. Roll the leaf toward the center, tuck in the ends. Place seam-side down.

    Tip: Do not overfill - otherwise rolls will fall apart during cooking.

  5. 5

    Line the bottom of the pot (or casserole) with cabbage leaves and smoked pork. Arrange sarma upright, snugly next to each other.

  6. 6

    Heat oil in a small pan. Add tomato paste and paprika, sauté 1 minute. Thin with 500 ml water and pour over sarma.

  7. 7

    Add bay leaves. Ensure water covers the sarma. Cover and simmer for 2 hours over low heat.

    Tip: Check after an hour - add hot water if needed.

Cooking methods

On the stove

Heavy Dutch oven or wide pot. Bring to a boil on medium, then reduce to the lowest flame for the 2-hour braise. Gas allows very fine flame control. A heat diffuser prevents scorching on the bottom layer.

On induction

Bring to a boil on level 6, then reduce to level 2–3 for the slow braise. Induction's precise low-heat is ideal for long braises - maintains a steady simmer without any risk of boiling dry or scorching. Heavy cast iron Dutch oven recommended.

Over an open fire

The original traditional method. A cast iron pot over slow-burning hardwood coals, partially nestled in ash for even heat distribution. Traditional cooks leave sarma over the fire for 3–4 hours - the gentle smokiness from hardwood is a prized characteristic.

Recipe questions

How long does this recipe take?
Plan for about 165 minutes from start to finish.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Can I cook this recipe on induction?
Yes. Bring to a boil on level 6, then reduce to level 2–3 for the slow braise. Induction's precise low-heat is ideal for long braises - maintains a steady simmer without any risk of boiling dry or scorching. Heavy cast iron Dutch oven recommended.
Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
Yes. The original traditional method. A cast iron pot over slow-burning hardwood coals, partially nestled in ash for even heat distribution. Traditional cooks leave sarma over the fire for 3–4 hours - the gentle smokiness from hardwood is a prized characteristic.

In the app

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