Sarma 🥬 Serbian-Style Cabbage Rolls 🇷🇸 (Cabbage Rolls)

Description

Description: Tender pickled-cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory beef-pork-rice filling, simmered low and slow in a tomato-paprika sauce—comfort in a pot. 🍲🥬

Hook: Make once, eat for days—rich, aromatic, and even better tomorrow. ⚡

Ingredients

• Filling
• 🧅 Onion, finely chopped: 200 g (1⅓ cups / 7 oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, minced: 8 g (2 cloves / 0.3 oz)
• 🧆 Ground beef: 700 g (1½ lb)
• 🐖 Ground pork: 300 g (⅔ lb)
• 🌾 Medium-grain rice, rinsed: 120 g (⅔ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🫒 Sunflower or olive oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🌶️ Sweet paprika: 8 g (2 tsp / 0.28 oz)
• ⚫ Ground black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• Cabbage & pot
• 🥬 Whole pickled cabbage (sauerkraut), leaves separated: 1 large head (18–22 leaves)
• 🥬 Shredded sauerkraut (for layering): 200 g (2 cups / 7 oz)
• 🍅 Tomato paste: 30 g (2 tbsp / 1.1 oz)
• 🍅 Tomato passata or crushed tomatoes: 400 ml (1⅔ cups / 13.5 fl oz)
• 🫗 Water or light stock: 500–700 ml (2–3 cups)
• 🌿 Bay leaves: 2
• 🌶️ Smoked paprika (optional): ½ tsp (1 g / 0.04 oz)
• 🫒 Oil for the pot: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🥓 Smoked bacon or ribs for layering (optional): 150 g (5 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prep cabbage: Rinse leaves if very salty; trim thick veins so they fold easily.
2. 2️⃣ Make filling: Sauté onion in oil 6–8 min until translucent; add garlic 30 sec. Cool 2–3 min, then mix with beef, pork, rice, paprika, pepper, and salt.
3. 3️⃣ Roll: Place 2–3 tbsp filling on each leaf, fold sides in, and roll tightly; tuck ends.
4. 4️⃣ Build pot: Oil the pot. Spread half the shredded sauerkraut, scatter bacon/ribs if using. Arrange rolls seam-side down in snug layers. Top with remaining sauerkraut and bay leaves.
5. 5️⃣ Sauce & cook: Stir tomato paste, passata, smoked paprika (if using), and water/stock; pour in to barely cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook 1 h 30 min on low (or bake covered at 170°C / 340°F).
6. 6️⃣ Rest: Let stand 15 min before serving so juices settle.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 30 min
🔥 Cook: 1 h 30 min
⏳ Total: 2 h

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