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 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 (you should be able to find it in some smaller supermarkets if you don’t like to ferment it yourself)

3 onions, or 6 shallots

2 cloves of garlic (of course you can add more)

3–4 carrots

1 celery, optional

300 g rice

2-3 potatoes (either chop and mix them with the other ingredients or leave them whole and eat them together with the rolls)

2 handful of roasted walnuts, chopped into small pieces

2 teaspoons paprika pulp or powder

salt & pepper

bay leaves

water or vegetable broth. I usually try to save some whenever I cook but a vegetable stock cube from a health–food shop (Reformhaus) also works. Water is also fine since it will cook long enough to develop juiciness and flavour. You can also use sauerkraut juice from your fermented cabbage head, if you like the sourness.

Optional: a handful of mushrooms, chopped and sautéd, for some umami–flavour. I like to mix oyster mushrooms with king oyster mushrooms and brown champignons 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 until golden. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Add some garlic. And then add the finely chopped carrots. Continue with celery and zucchini (and potatoes, if you want them in your filling).

3. Add 250ml of water and let it simmer.

4. Now the walnuts. Roast them in a separate pan, then chop them and add to the other ingredients.

5. Pour another 250ml of water and stir. Season with about 2 teaspoons of paprika pulp.

6. Now wash 300 grams of rice and pour over the vegetables.

7. Season with 1–2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.

8. Add another glass of water (or wine, for a more intensive taste). After simmering for a few minutes, set aside.

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

10. 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.

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

12. Grace with a few bay leaves on top and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for half an hour and then put it into the oven at 180°C and roast for another 2–3 hours.

Prijatno.


Note:
If you'd like to add a white roux for a thicker consistency put two tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter into a pan and then add a tablespoon of flour. You can season it with grated nutmeg or paprika. Now pour over your cabbage rolls and bake for another half hour.

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 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 (you should be able to find it in some smaller supermarkets if you don’t like to ferment it yourself)

3 onions, or 6 shallots

2 cloves of garlic (of course you can add more)

3–4 carrots

1 celery, optional

300 g rice

2-3 potatoes (either chop and mix them with the other ingredients or leave them whole and eat them together with the rolls)

2 handful of roasted walnuts, chopped into small pieces

2 teaspoons paprika pulp or powder

salt & pepper

bay leaves

water or vegetable broth. I usually try to save some whenever I cook but a vegetable stock cube from a health–food shop (Reformhaus) also works. Water is also fine since it will cook long enough to develop juiciness and flavour. You can also use sauerkraut juice from your fermented cabbage head, if you like the sourness.

Optional: a handful of mushrooms, chopped and sautéd, for some umami–flavour. I like to mix oyster mushrooms with king oyster mushrooms and brown champignons 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 until golden. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Add some garlic. And then add the finely chopped carrots. Continue with celery and zucchini (and potatoes, if you want them in your filling).

3. Add 250ml of water and let it simmer.

4. Now the walnuts. Roast them in a separate pan, then chop them and add to the other ingredients.

5. Pour another 250ml of water and stir. Season with about 2 teaspoons of paprika pulp.

6. Now wash 300 grams of rice and pour over the vegetables.

7. Season with 1–2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.

8. Add another glass of water (or wine, for a more intensive taste). After simmering for a few minutes, set aside.

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

10. 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.

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

12. Grace with a few bay leaves on top and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for half an hour and then put it into the oven at 180°C and roast for another 2–3 hours.

Prijatno.


Note:
If you'd like to add a white roux for a thicker consistency put two tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter into a pan and then add a tablespoon of flour. You can season it with grated nutmeg or paprika. Now pour over your cabbage rolls and bake for another half hour.