With cabbage rolls the work starts before the rolling. Leaves that have not been blanched enough crack, and leaves whose ribs have not been thinned will not close into a neat roll. Get past those two steps and the rolling takes care of itself.
Ingredients
For the leaves
For the filling
For cooking
Method
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Blanch the cabbage
Hollow out the core and put the whole cabbage into boiling salted water. As the outer leaves soften, lift them off with tongs; it takes 15 minutes.
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Thin the ribs
Lay the knife flat and pare down the thick rib of each leaf. Do not cut it out, thin it.
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Make the filling
Fry the onion in butter for 5 minutes, add the mince and cook until it takes its liquid back up. Stir in the pastes, the rice and the spices and take off the heat.
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Roll
Cut the leaves to the size of your palm. Put filling along the bottom edge, fold the sides in and roll tightly.
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Pack the pan
Line the bottom of the pan with the leftover thick leaves and pack the rolls in side by side.
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Cook
Put an upturned plate on top and pour the hot water in from the side. Cook over a low heat for 60 minutes.
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Rest
Take off the heat and leave covered for 20 minutes before lifting them onto a plate.
Tips
- Lining the bottom of the pan with leaves stops the rolls sticking; skip it and you lose the bottom layer.
- The upturned plate stops the rolls opening as they cook. It is not optional.
- Do not cook the rice in the filling; it needs to swell inside the roll, and pre-cooked rice falls apart.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.