a pinch of salt
a pinch of salt
a_pinch_of_salt_

Recipe #5
Sarma (Fermented Cabbage Rolls)

Sarma, stuffed cabbage rolls, especially good for cold winter evenings but they're comforting all year. The part I always liked the most about it as a kid were the roasted fermented leaves that embosom the filling. In the original recipes they are filled with meat and rice, but I replace it with tasty vegetables and fresh seasonings.

INGREDIENTS

Fermented cabbage head (homemade ones naturally taste the best but you should be able to find it in some smaller turkish/greek/balkan supermarkets if you don’t like to ferment it yourself)

3–4 onions, or 6-7 shallots

2 cloves of garlic 

2–3 carrots

2 handful of roasted walnuts, chopped into small pieces

300 g short-grain rice

1-2 potatoes (chop and mix them with the other ingredients or leave them whole and eat them together with the rolls)

2 teaspoons paprika pulp or powder

salt & pepper

parsley, a hand ful

3-4 bay leaves

water or vegetable broth. I try to save some whenever I cook, a good organic vegetable stock from the shop also works fine. You can also add some sauerkraut juice from your fermented cabbage, if you like the kind of flavour.

Optional:
smoked tofu as a good protein and umami source, crumbled into small pieces and fried/roasted until crispy
1 celery stick 
a handful of mushrooms as a tofu alternative, chopped and sautéd, for some rich umami–flavour. I like to usw oyster mushrooms or maitake but try whatever you get at the farmers– or supermarket, or, even better, forest! :)

PREPARATION

1. Start with the vegetables for the filling. Chop all vegetables into fine pieces.

2. Put a little vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onions first, until golden. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Add the finely chopped carrots and then some garlic. Continue with celery and and potatoes.

3. Now the tofu: crumble it into fine pieces and fry it until crispy.

4. Crack some walnuts and roast them in a separate pan. Chop and add them to the other ingredients.

5. Now wash 300 grams of rice and pour it over the vegetables. Add parsley.

6. Add about 250 ml of vegetable broth or water and stir. Season with about 2 teaspoons of paprika pulp, 1–2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.

7. Now you can start to remove the fermented cabbage leaves from the core, one by one. Cut away the thickest part of the stem and put it aside, for snacking ☺.

8. Fill with 1–2 tablespoons of your prepared vegetables and then roll up carefully. Fold in the sides just before the end of the leaf.

9. Then put the cabbage rolls into a casserole and sauté them. Fill up with more vegetable broth until lightly covered.

10. Grace the rolls with a few bay leaves on top and cover with a lid. Let it slowly simmer for or put it directly into the oven at 150°C and roast for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Prijatno.


Note:
If you'd like to add a white roux for a thicker sauce put two tablespoons of vegetable oil (or butter) into a pan and then add a tablespoon or two of flour. You can season it with some grated nutmeg or sweet paprika powder. Stir well and then add about 300 ml of water or vegetable broth. Now pour over your cabbage rolls and bake for 10 more minutes.

a_pinch_of_salt_

Recipe #5
Sarma (Fermented Cabbage Rolls)

Sarma, stuffed cabbage rolls, especially good for cold winter evenings but they're comforting all year. The part I always liked the most about it as a kid were the roasted fermented leaves that embosom the filling. In the original recipes they are filled with meat and rice, but I replace it with tasty vegetables and fresh seasonings.

INGREDIENTS

Fermented cabbage head (homemade ones naturally taste the best but you should be able to find it in some smaller turkish/greek/balkan supermarkets if you don’t like to ferment it yourself)

3–4 onions, or 6-7 shallots

2 cloves of garlic 

2–3 carrots

2 handful of roasted walnuts, chopped into small pieces

300 g short-grain rice

1-2 potatoes (chop and mix them with the other ingredients or leave them whole and eat them together with the rolls)

2 teaspoons paprika pulp or powder

salt & pepper

parsley, a hand ful

3-4 bay leaves

water or vegetable broth. I try to save some whenever I cook, a good organic vegetable stock from the shop also works fine. You can also add some sauerkraut juice from your fermented cabbage, if you like the kind of flavour.

Optional:
smoked tofu as a good protein and umami source, crumbled into small pieces and fried/roasted until crispy
1 celery stick 
a handful of mushrooms as a tofu alternative, chopped and sautéd, for some rich umami–flavour. I like to usw oyster mushrooms or maitake but try whatever you get at the farmers– or supermarket, or, even better, forest! :)

PREPARATION

1. Start with the vegetables for the filling. Chop all vegetables into fine pieces.

2. Put a little vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onions first, until golden. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Add the finely chopped carrots and then some garlic. Continue with celery and and potatoes.

3. Now the tofu: crumble it into fine pieces and fry it until crispy.

4. Crack some walnuts and roast them in a separate pan. Chop and add them to the other ingredients.

5. Now wash 300 grams of rice and pour it over the vegetables. Add parsley.

6. Add about 250 ml of vegetable broth or water and stir. Season with about 2 teaspoons of paprika pulp, 1–2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.

7. Now you can start to remove the fermented cabbage leaves from the core, one by one. Cut away the thickest part of the stem and put it aside, for snacking ☺.

8. Fill with 1–2 tablespoons of your prepared vegetables and then roll up carefully. Fold in the sides just before the end of the leaf.

9. Then put the cabbage rolls into a casserole and sauté them. Fill up with more vegetable broth until lightly covered.

10. Grace the rolls with a few bay leaves on top and cover with a lid. Let it slowly simmer for or put it directly into the oven at 150°C and roast for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Prijatno.


Note:
If you'd like to add a white roux for a thicker sauce put two tablespoons of vegetable oil (or butter) into a pan and then add a tablespoon or two of flour. You can season it with some grated nutmeg or sweet paprika powder. Stir well and then add about 300 ml of water or vegetable broth. Now pour over your cabbage rolls and bake for 10 more minutes.