Romanian Cabbage Rolls: #shayansglobalcooking - R

Thank you for waiting patiently. I have many excuses for delaying my cooking challenge. Nevertheless, I managed to do another letter and another country.

Romania was the chosen country for R. Only eight more countries and dishes to go. Don't get too upset. At this rate, I will still be going until 2020.

Cabbage boiling, rice and onions cooking

When I looked online as well as asking friends and colleagues, the results were not too encouraging or exciting. This was mainly due to two words: Cabbage Rolls.


I do like cabbage but I wouldn't order this dish on a menu if I saw it. I like stuffed vine leaves, it's just this sounded a bit dull. Don't judge me, I am learning.

Two sources I used for help were from Jo Cooks and Traditional Romanian Food blog. I always try to use a few sources just to make sure I have the correct recipe. As well as, just incase, if I do not have all the ingredients, I can see what else is done.

Finished product, not that pleasing to the eye...

The essence of this dish is rice and pork stuffed into rolled cabbages, cooked drenched/drizzled with tomato sauce. My pictures do not do this dish or recipe justice and I thoroughly recommend looking at the two blogs above for true Romanian cabbage rolls.

Well seasoned, softened cabbage via boiling, is a vessel for flavoursome pork with garlic and rice. Forget the calories with a tortilla or wrap, this is healthy delights for you and yours.

...but good on the taste buds

Pork, onions and garlic are all a good base and start for a good dish. Add to that some rice and herbs and spices, what is there not to like?

I know you are capable to read the blogs above, but a quick summary of how to make the rolls:

• boil the cabbage for twenty minutes in salted water
• remove, once cooled, tear off each leaf and cut in half removing the stem
• In a pan, whilst the cabbage is cooling, fry onions and garlic. Add uncooked rice
• Add water/or stock to the rice and onion mixture until the rice has sucked in all the juices
• Once cooled add to minced pork, herbs and spices (thyme, parsley, chilli powder and pepper
• Wrap pork into cabbage leaves
• once you get a layer and bacon or lardons
• top with another layer of cabbage rolls and drizzle pasata on top
• cook in the oven for an hour  and a half covered, last half hour remove cover

VOILA.

Quite time consuming near the end, so start cooking this early and not at 9pm like I did.

​I actually had my first bite at 11:30pm that evening. It was tasty, moist and filling. A dip or sauce with it, would add more, but it isn't a necessity. The good thing about this recipe is that you can experiment with the flavours and spices and even go vegetarian too.

​Thank you Europe and specifically Romanian.