Holubtsi
Cabbage leaves rolled around rice and minced meat, then braised in tomato until the leaves give way under a fork. Freezing the whole cabbage overnight is the easiest way to get the leaves off without tearing.
Ingredients
- white cabbage — 1 head
- minced pork and beef — 600 g
- rice — 150 g
- onions — 2 pcs
- carrot — 1 pc
- tomato paste — 3 tbsp
- sour cream — 150 g
- salt — 1.5 tsp
- black pepper — 0.5 tsp
- bay leaves — 2 pcs
Instructions
- Freeze the cabbage overnight and thaw it, or boil the whole head for 10 minutes; either way the leaves then peel off whole. Shave down the thick rib of each leaf.
- Parboil the rice for 7 minutes so it is half done, and drain.
- Fry one chopped onion with the grated carrot until soft, and mix half of it into the meat with the rice, salt and pepper.
- Put a spoon of filling on each leaf, fold the sides in and roll up firmly.
- Pack the rolls seam down in a wide pot. Stir the tomato paste and sour cream into 500 ml water with the rest of the onion mixture and pour it over, adding the bay.
- Cover and braise on low heat for about 75 minutes, until a leaf yields easily to a fork.