Description
Delicious and hearty stuffed cabbage rolls filled with a savory mixture of meat, bulgur, and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar or alternative sweetener (maple or honey)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup broth or stock (chicken or veggie)
- 1/2 cup Turkish tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 lb ground meat (uncooked): ground lamb (my preference), ground beef, chicken, ground turkey, or a plant-based ground meat like Beyond Burger
- 1 cup bulgar wheat, soaked (or add 1 cup cauliflower rice, or 1 cup cooked rice, or other cooked grain)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (or sub dried oregano or thyme)
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (aleppo is nice)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pinenuts (or slivered almonds)
- 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped (or sub-dried barberries, currants, or raisins)
Instructions
- Soak bulgar wheat in a bowl of cool water for 20 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage and blanch until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool. Alternatively, peel off cabbage leaves and blanch them in batches for 1-2 minutes or microwave the whole cabbage, covered tightly in a bowl with 1 cup water for 10 minutes. You can also freeze the whole cabbage, then thaw.
- Make the Turkish Tomato Sauce. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons oil until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add garlic, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes (and all the juices), sugar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and broth. Stir, bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, then turn heat off.
- In the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish (just enough to lightly coat the bottom) or an 11 to 12-inch round braiser, add a layer of the Turkish Tomato Sauce.
- In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, drained bulgar wheat, finely minced garlic, 1/2 cup Turkish tomato sauce, salt, cumin, dried mint, coriander, sumac, chili flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinenuts, and dried apricots. Mix with a clean, damp hand until well combined.
- Place a blanched cabbage leaf on the counter. Cut 2 inches off the thick vein at the bottom. Fill with 1/3 cup lamb filling and roll up like a burrito, tucking edges in. Place seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves. You should have approximately 10-12 rolls.
- Pour any remaining tomato sauce over the rolls in the baking dish and give the pan a gentle shake to distribute the sauce.
- Cover with parchment, then tightly with foil (or a lid). Bake for 1 1/4 hours. If baking in a sauté pan, heat gently on the stovetop (covered) before placing in the oven, then bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley, mint, or dill, and a few pinenuts. Serve with thick creamy yogurt if desired.
Notes
- For best results, ensure that the cabbage leaves are tender but not overly mushy to hold the filling.
- You can use different grains based on preference.
- Adding some lemon juice or zest can brighten the flavors.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 75mg