MaryLee's Healthy Food and Easy Cooking - Cabbage Rolls

Hello again,

Okay this time lets try something that is just a little more fiddly to prepare but it is not difficult.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Blanch 10 – 20 large cabbage leaves or greens. In saucepan bring water to the boil, put cabbage leaves in for 10 – 20 seconds or until soft. Remove them to a bowl of cold water.

Filling

2 – 3 cups cooked rice (see earlier blog)
4 spring onions finely chopped
1 chilli pepper seeded and finely chopped
2 clove garlic finely chopped
3 tbsp (tablespoon) tomato paste
1 tsp (teaspoon) cumin seeds
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup vegetable stock

In skillet/frying pan over medium heat, heat oil, add onion garlic and chilli pepper and stir till soft. Add tomato paste, cumin seeds, cinnamon, parsley and rice and stir until well mixed. Remove from heat let cool until can handle with your hands.

With clean hands place approx 3 – 4 tbsp of filling to top edge a cabbage leaf, roll into a neat log/parcel. Repeat this for each leaf. Place parcels flap side down, into lightly oiled oven proof bowl. Pour over the stock and cover with foil.

Bake 30 minutes at 375 F or 190 C.

If using the chilli pepper then I recommend you mix ½ cup plain yogurt, with 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped. This will help cool and soothe the burning sensation you may get from the chillis.

Tip, if you find the leaves are too difficult to remove from cabbage then place the whole cabbage in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes remove let cool, leaves should be much easier to remove now. Then you will not have to blanch them as this already blanches them.

You can replace 1 cup of cooked rice with 1 cup cooked mince if you wish.