Stuffed cabbage is a treat for Russian and Ukrainian cuisine, but the dish is so popular that it is prepared in many countries, but in different ways.
So, stuffed cabbage consists of 3 components:
- Stuffing. Traditional stuffing is ground beef with boiled rice, but many cooks have varied the taste with vegetables, greens, mushrooms, cheese.
- Properly prepared cabbage, which should be soft and supple.
- Sauce or gravy. The traditional gravy is considered tomato and vegetable. Again, its taste can be varied with the help of cream, sour cream, broth, spices, herbs and other products.
Recipe 1: Traditional "stuffed cabbage rolls"
Traditional cabbage rolls are minced meat, coarsely ground with rice, wrapped in cabbage and stewed in tomato-vegetable gravy. Stuffed cabbage with minced meat is a juicy and satisfying dish, but many of us refuse to cook them, the reason is a laborious and lengthy process. The advantage of stuffed cabbage cooked according to this recipe is that the semi-finished products can be stored in the freezer for 1-1.5 months.
Ingredients Required:
flat head of white cabbage - 1 big piece;
- minced pork (coarse grinding) - 500 grams;
- ground beef (coarse grinding) - 500 grams;
- onions - 3 pieces;
- rice - 1 glass;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- tomatoes in their own juice - 400g;
- Salt, peppers (ground, peas), bay leaf, vegetable oil.
Cooking method:
Preparatory stage:
- Onion chopped finely, carrots crushed on a grater.
- Rice is boiled to a semi-ready state - al dente.
- Cabbage leaf should be flexible and durable. For this cabbage without a stalk is put in a large pot with salty boiling water. Cooking continues until the upper leaves are easily separated. The cooled leaves are cut thick veins at the base.
Cooking minced meat:
In one container mix two types of minced meat, onions (2 heads), rice, ground pepper, salt. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Forming cabbage rolls: minced meat is laid out on the prepared cabbage leaf (1-1.5 tablespoons). Cabbage wrapped envelope.
Preparation of tomato and vegetable gravy:
Onions (1 piece) and carrots are fried in vegetable oil. After 5 minutes, tomatoes are laid in their own juice, suppressed with a fork, spices and bay leaf.
Heat treatment:
The bottom of the pan is covered with raw cabbage, then the cabbage rolls are laid, the tomato-vegetable sauce is poured on top. Cabbage rolls are stewed on medium heat for 30-35 minutes.
The finished dish is served with a gravy, in which they were stewed or sour cream. Enjoy your meal!
Recipe 2: Stuffed cabbage with spring meat
These meat stuffed cabbage got their name "Spring" is not accidental. The fact is that the stuffing is wrapped in young cabbage. The dish is prepared faster and has a more delicate flavor.
Ingredients Required:
- young cabbage - 1 head (large);
- Pork and beef mince (coarse grinding) - 500 grams;
- rice - 0.5 cups;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- tomatoes - 3 pieces;
- onion - 1 piece;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- parsley - 1 bunch.
Ingredients for pouring:
broth - 500 ml;
ketchup - 2 tablespoons;
sour cream - 4 tablespoons;
vegetable oil, pepper salt.
Cooking method:
Preparatory stage:
- Young cabbage can be easily disassembled, therefore leaves fall into salty boiling water for 1-1.5 minutes. The cooled leaves are cut thick veins at the base.
- Rice is boiled to a semi-ready state - al dente.
- Onion chopped finely, carrots crushed on a grater. Vegetables are allowed on vegetable fat to a soft state.
- Parsley, garlic, finely minced, tomatoes without skin - chopped in a blender.
Cooking minced meat:
In one container mix the pork and beef mince, rice, roasted carrots with onions, greens, tomatoes and spices. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Forming cabbage rolls: minced meat is laid out on the prepared cabbage leaf (1-1.5 tablespoons). Cabbage wrapped envelope.
Preparation of pouring: combine sour cream, ketchup, broth and spices in one container.
Heat treatment:
Cabbage envelopes are fried in vegetable fat and placed in a duck. Cabbage rolls are poured by pouring, so that they are barely covered. Cabbage envelopes are stewed for 30 minutes, over medium heat.
The finished dish is presented to guests with sour cream and herbs. Enjoy your meal!
Recipe 3: Stuffed cabbage with meat "Light"
Stuffed cabbage cooked according to this recipe is lighter, as the pig and beef mince is replaced with chicken, which is considered to be easily digestible and almost dietary.
Ingredients Required:
- flat head of white cabbage - 1 piece (large);
- Chicken minced (coarse) - 500 grams;
- rice - 1 glass;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- tomatoes - 3 pieces;
- onion - 1 piece;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- greens, salt, pepper, vegetable oil.
Ingredients for pouring:
- tomato paste - 2 tablespoons;
- sour cream - 200 grams;
- tomatoes - 2 pieces;
- Rosemary - a few twigs.
Phased plan, cooking "Light" meat cabbage.
Preparatory stage:
- Onions, herbs, garlic, finely minced, carrots, crushed on a grater, tomatoes without skin - crushed in a blender. Vegetables are allowed on vegetable fat to a soft state.
- Rice is boiled to a semi-ready state - al dente.
- Cabbage leaf should be flexible and durable. For this cabbage without a stalk is put in a large pot with salty boiling water. Cooking continues until the upper leaves are easily separated. The cooled leaves are cut thick veins at the base.
Cooking minced meat:
In one container mix chicken mince, rice, roasted carrots with onions and tomatoes, greens and spices. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Forming cabbage rolls: minced meat is laid out on the prepared cabbage leaf (1-1.5 tablespoons). Cabbage wrapped envelope.
Filling preparation: combine sour cream, ketchup, tomatoes, spices and rosemary in a blender in one container. The ingredients are poured into a saucepan and brought to a boil.
Heat treatment:
The bottom of the pan is covered with raw cabbage, then the cabbage rolls are laid, the pouring is poured on top. Stuffed cabbage stew on medium heat for 35-40 minutes.
The finished dish is served with a gravy, in which they were stewed or sour cream. Enjoy your meal!
Stuffed cabbage rolls with meat - recommendations from chefs
To make stuffing in stuffed cabbage more tasty, it is prepared from several types of minced meat, and it is better if the minced meat is coarse.
To cabbage for cabbage was tender, it is boiled, the sheets are removed from the veins, and then the molded cabbage (envelope) is fried in vegetable fat and stewed in sauce until the meat is cooked.
