Tender leaves of pickled cabbage, stuffed with meat, garlic, onion & rice make this cabbage rolls recipe the perfect savory dinner or festive meal that everyone will absolutely love!
Mix meat with rice, diced onions, minced or smashed garlic, eggs, salt, grounded pepper and some tomato paste until everything becomes a homogeneous paste.
Add some paprika powder if you like spicy food
Remove the stubs from the cabbage leaves and then cut each leaf in half (depending on their size)
Put a little amount of meat (about a spoonful) on a cabbage leaf and roll, making sure to nicely tuck in the edges.
Choose a very thick pot like a dutch oven and place the cabbage stubs, previously removed from the leaves, to the bottom, forming a bed.
Add dill sticks and thyme.
Lay the rolls inside the pot, in circles, adding a bit of the tomato paste, bay leaves and peppercorns in between the layers.
When you're done layering the rolls, add a layer of chopped cabbage on top mixed with a bit of tomato paste and if the meat is very lean, add a bit of sunflower oil too.
Cover everything with water.
Put 2 lids on: a small lid that will fit inside the pot and will cover the ingredients and a large lid that will cover the pot.
Bring to a boil then simmer for about three hours, on very low heat.
Serve with pickled chili peppers and sour cream or yogurt.