Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

There are so many recipes for stuffed cabbage leaves, from all over the world, each is special and tasty, and it’s hard to choose between them all.

So I’ve decided there’s no reason to choose one, but combine them. The recipe here is a result of cooking Turkish, Armenian, Sephardic, Polish and Russian recipes. I’ve kept flavors and techniques that I liked from each and added some of my own. So far, this is my go-to recipe when it comes to stuffed cabbage with meat. A vegetarian version is on the works as well.

The dish takes a while to make, but the reward is such tasty bundles of soft cabbage with a juicy meat center and caramelized top, and a sweet and sour flavor layer from the cooked plumped plums, no doubt it is worth the effort. Once you make them, you can start creating your own version.

* As you can see from the photos, I prefer to make small bundles, with only half of a large cabbage leave and fold it only once. You can choose to use the whole leaf, and end up with more cabbage in the roll.

* Whenever ground meat is required in a dish, I recommend buying a piece of meat and grinding it, or chopping it in a food processor, at home. This way you ensure the quality of your meat and therefore the flavor of your dish.

* The filling can also be used to fill other vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes. * Leftover filling can be rolled into small meatballs and cooked in tomato sauce for 30 minutes.

Makes: 30 small
Freezing/defrosting the cabbage: 1 day ahead
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes + 2 hours baking
Ingredients:
30 prepared leaves (from 1 large cabbage head, see below for instructions)
For the filling:
1.5 lbs (700 grams) beef chuck, ground
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
¼ cup rice (I prefer Basmati)
1 Tbs salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp date syrup (or pomegranate syrup, honey or brown sugar)
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs sweet paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs sumac
½ tsp five spice mix
For the sauce:
¼ cup tomato paste
1 Tbs salt
½ tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp date syrup (or pomegranate syrup, honey or brown sugar)
1 Tbs tamarind paste
4 cups beef stock (preferably homemade)
10 dried yellow plums, or apricots

1. Prepare the cabbage: core the cabbage base, wrap in plastic bag and place in the freezer overnight. Take out of the freezer and bring to room temperature. Once the cabbage thaws, the leaves will look “cooked” and soft. Separate them carefully. Line the pot bottom with a few of the outer ones. Place the rest on a cutting board and remove the tough center, so that you’ll get 2 separate parts of cabbage leaves to fill.

2. The filling: mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for half an hour.

3. The sauce: in a bowl, mix the tomato paste with the salt, pepper, date syrup and tamarind paste. Gradually whisk in the stock, to a smooth sauce.

4. Filling the leaves: place one prepared cabbage leaf on a cutting board, with the cut side up. Add about 2 tbs of the filling, shaped by hand to an oval meatball, near the edge of the leaf. Fold both sides in, and roll tight. Place in the pot. Repeat with the rest of the leaves, tucking them together them tightly.

5. Cooking: add the dried plums or apricots on top and place a large heat proof plate on top, to prevent the stuffed leaves from moving while cooking. Add the sauce and cover the pot.

6. Bring to a boil, over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if needed. Preheat the oven to 250F (120C). Place the covered pot in and bake for an hour. Carefully, uncover the pot and remove the plate.

7. Place back in the oven and bake for another hour, or until most of the sauce is absorbed and the top layer caramelized. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before carefully removing the bundles. The stuffed rolls can be kept, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to a week.