Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage is a dish consisting of blanched cabbage leaves wrapped around potato peas mix. A variety of stuffing can be used in place of potato mix like minced meat, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cabbage
• water to cover

For Filling:

• 2 medium potatoes
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 small onion chopped fine
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp chat masala or amchur
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste

For Masala/Gravy:

• 1 medium sized onion chopped
• 1” cube of fresh ginger chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium sized tomato chopped
• 1 green chili
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 4-5 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

Blanch cabbage leaves:

• Place big outer cabbage leaves in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until they are pliable and soft.
• Remove with a slotted spoon. Lay the leaves flat on a tray and set them aside.

Prepare stuffing:

• Boil and skin potato. Cut it into small pieces.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds in the oil when it is hot. After they stop spluttering, add chopped onion and chopped green chili in the frying pan and fry till it becomes golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix properly.
• Add now chopped potato and green peas and fry for some time.
• Remove from the heat. Mix in chat masala, chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Stuffing is ready. Keep it aside.

Stuffing Cabbage leaves:

• Set leaves on work surface.
• Take each cabbage leaf separately. Trim off tough white vein at base of each leaf. Place about 1 tbsp filling on bottom third of each leaf; flatten slightly. Fold bottom of leaf over filling, then fold in sides and roll up tightly making square structures. Just squeeze down the cabbage squares to compress a little. You can use toothpicks also to keep the squares intact. If cabbage leaf is small or thin then take two leaves together to make stuffed squares.
• Heat a big frying pan with 2 tbsp of cooking oil on medium heat. Add the stuffed cabbage squares one by one, seam side down. After 2 minutes turn the squares so that both the sides of the squares are fried pink. Remove from heat and set them aside.

Prepare Gravy:

• Put the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chili and tomato into a blender or food processor along with ¼ cup water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
• In a vessel heat 4-5 tbsp of oil and add the onion tomato paste. Fry until it turns light brown. Add the coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and garam masala; and fry stirring continuously, until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• Add cabbage squares carefully and pour in 1 cup of the water. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for about 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer curry to serving bowl. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Garnish with coriander leaves and

Serve with roti or paratha.

Do You Know?

Dolma: Dolma is a Turkish verbal noun of the meaning "to be stuffed", or simply "stuffed thing". ‘Dolma’, strictly speaking, is a vegetable that is hollowed out and filled with stuffing. This applies to tomato, pepper, eggplant etc. Stuffed mackerel, squid and mussel are also called ‘dolmas’.

Sarma: Dishes involving wrapping leaves such as vine leaves or cabbage leaves around a filling are called ‘Sarma’. Though in many languages, the distinction is usually not made. ‘Sarma’ is derived from the Turkish verb ‘sarmak’ which means ‘to wrap’.