sarma: serbian cabbage rolls

so delicious! the filling is lovely stuffed into green capsicums. even better the next day! the rice can be cooked and baked on it's own in ramekins or a baking dish if you don't have cabbage or capsicum.


4Tbs olive oil
finely chopped:
1 onion
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small green capsicum 
2 cups white rice
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
700ml tomato sauce or passata or tinned tomatoes - reserve 0.25c
2Tbs dried herbs (oregano, basil)
2Tbs paprika
salt, pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage, approx 1.5kg, 25cm diameter


preheat oven to 190C.


on low-medium heat, saute onion until translucent. add celery, carrots, capsicum and cook for 5 minutes. add garlic, cook for 1 minute. add rice, 0.25c tomato sauce/passata, and all seasonings; cook for 5 minutes. 


meanwhile, remove the 3-4 outermost leaves, and reserve. trim the base of the cabbage and cut an X in the base. steam the whole cabbage until leaves are limp (about 7-9 minutes). gently peel off whole leaves and remove the tough spines that make rolling difficult; resteam the remaining cabbage head if leaves aren't soft enough to remove. 


fill each leaf with 3-4Tbs of filling. fold the leaf over the filling, and place in a lightly oiled baking tray (at least 35cm long). repeat with all leaves until filling is gone.


pour the remaining tomato sauce/passata over the rolls, then top up with a little stock or water until the rolls are covered two-thirds the way up.


cover with reserved cabbage leaves or foil; cook for 1 hour.