Recipe courtesy of Zeynel Oz, chef for Pasha Grill at THE GREENE
Preparation time: 35 minutes | Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
1 medium cabbage
9 oz ground lamb or beef
½ cup long grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic (optional)
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste\
2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 tsp dried mint
4 Tbsp olive oil\
1 cup (8 oz) hot water
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and ground pepper, to taste}
1 small bowl of natural (plain) yogurt
Directions
- Put a large pot of salted water on and bring to a boil.
- Cut the cabbage in half vertically and cut out the hearts. Plunge into the pot of salted boiling water and cook for about 5-8 minutes. The leaves should be tender but not over-cooked. Rinse under cold running water and carefully remove the outer leaves. Cut away the hard central vein, resulting in about 25 cabbage leaves, each about the size of your hand.
- For the filling -- put the ground meat in a bowl and stir in the onions, parsley, dried mint, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and knead the mixture, until all ingredients are combined well. Add the rice and mix well with a spoon, taking care not to break the rice grains.
- Take one of the cabbage leaves on a flat surface and spoon a walnut-size amount of the filling at the base of each leaf. Fold the edges over the filling and roll up to form a chunky finger-sized roll. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
- Pour the remaining olive oil in a deep, wide pan. Arrange the cabbage rolls in the pan, seam side down and side-by-side. If you like, scatter the garlic cloves amongst the cabbage rolls – once they are cooked, the cloves will be moist and juicy and will add a wonderful flavor.
- Mix the lemon juice, hot water and a pinch of salt, then pour over the rolls. The liquid should come at least halfway up the top layer, so you may need to add extra liquid. Place a heavy plate over the leaves to stop them from unraveling, followed by a lid or foil.
- Cook over low heat for 35-40 minutes, until the cabbage rolls are tender. Remove from the heat and let the cabbage rolls stand for about 10 minutes. That will help them to come out without breaking and make the flavor even better.
- Serve hot, with yogurt and seasonal vegetables on the side.
