Töltött Káposzta Vegetáriánus

 

Stuffed cabbage is a very common dish throughout Eastern Europe, often called Golubsti, this recipe was inspired by a Hungarian recipe with plenty of sweet paprika as we were about to visit Budapest for Julie's birthday.

Ingredients

1 very large Spring Cabbage 

600g sauerkraut

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

200g long grain rice

100g lentils, green or brown

200g mushrooms, finely chopped

30g flat leaf parsley , finely chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 heaped tsp Sweet paprika

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

to serve

2 tbsp sour cream

a few sprigs of fresh dill

Method

Cut the large green leaves from the spring cabbage and wash them thoroughly. 

Bring a pan of water to the boil, and fill a large bowl with ice cold water. 

Add the cabbage leaves to the pan and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes then remove and place into the cold water to stop it from overcooking. All that's needed is to make it pliable enough to roll. Once cooled use a sharp knife remove the rib of each leaf, cutting it in half. You will need at least 12 halves for this recipe. 

Then in a large frying pan add the vegetable oil and heat over a medium to high temperature. Add the onions and fry for around 5 minutes before adding the garlic and ground cumin. Cook for a minute then add the mushrooms. Fry until the mushrooms are cooked and the released moisture has been reduced.

Add the uncooked rice, lentils and stir through. Cook for a few minutes before removing from the heat. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place a casserole dish or similar (I used a tagine) in the oven to warm up. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the filling mixture and add the flat-leaf parsely, season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp of the paprika. Add the two eggs and mix to combine well. 

In another mixing bowl add two thirds of the sauerkraut, with the tomato paste, 3 heaped tsp of paprika. Pour over about 500ml of water and stir. 

Weigh your filling and divide into twelve. Then spoon out a portion onto a cabbage leaf, rolling it up whilst tucking in the sides, creating a secure parcel.  Fill them as much as possible. Make as many as you can.

Bring the casserole dish out of the oven, then place the remaining plain sauerkraut in a layer on the bottom.

Carefully place the stuffed cabbage on top. Tightly pack them in if you can or evenly space them around the dish with the ends positioned up against the edge to avoid them opening whilst cooking. 

Fill in any gaps with the tomato and sauerkraut mix and pour the remainder over the dish. Then gently pour more water over the dish to cover the stuffed cabbage.

Cover with a lid and bake for an hour or longer until the rice and lentils have cooked. (Test from the smallest parcel)

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill leaves.