Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Meatless Cabbage Rolls

Meat-free cabbage rolls made from white cabbage with a rice-onion filling and pine nuts, slowly braised in olive oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 small white cabbage
• 200 g long-grain rice
• 3 onions
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp currants
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 130 ml olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the rice for 15 min. and rinse; cut a wedge-shaped core out of the white cabbage and cook the head for 10–12 min. in boiling salted water until the outer leaves can be peeled off individually.
2. Let the leaves cool, trim down the thick center ribs and cut into palm-sized pieces.
3. Finely dice the onions and sauté in half the olive oil for 8 min. until soft; add the pine nuts and toast for 2 min., then add the currants, tomato paste, allspice, mint, salt and pepper and roast for 1 min.
4. Stir in the rice, toss for 2 min. and take the filling off the heat.
5. Place 1 tsp of filling on each piece of leaf, fold in the sides and roll tightly into thumb-thick rolls; pack them tightly seam-side down into a pot.
6. Pour in the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and 300 ml hot water, weigh down with a plate, cover and braise over the lowest heat for 45 min.; let cool lukewarm in the broth and serve.