My grandmother used to do those amazing cabbage rolls, filled with minced meat and different spices, potatoes as a side dish. We always wished for it when visiting her, but she always said it is such a big effort. Anyway the main point is that in our family we always use savoy cabbage for these rolls, so when i bumped into one recently at the supermarket, i could not resist to buy it.
But then i came upon the obstacle to create a nice filling, since it always sounds so boring to have only veggies. I tried a filling with different lentils and chickpeas and it was very delicious, a very good meat free alternative for cabbage rolls.
Level: Middle
What you need(8 pockets):
1 Savoy Cabbage
250g sieved tomatoes
175g Chickpeas
50g Beluga Lentils (dry)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
Fresh Oregano/Rosmarin
Chili Pepper
Salt/Pepper
Creme fresh (optional)
Sesame Oil
Sesame Oil
Cook your beluga lentils and chickpeas (if you bought them dry). Heat Sesame Oil in a pot and cut the garlic and onions in small dices. Fry until they get transparent and add now your lentils and peas. Fill up with sieved tomatoes and start seasoning. The filling needs to be a bit dry, so do not add too much tomatoes, since the leaves give water as well.
Peel your cabbage. You can mainly only use the outer big leaves, so you have to come up with a different dish for the inner core. Heat up water with a bit of salt in a big pot. Cook each leaf until they become soft, but do not overcook them. If they are soft, but still nicely green, they are perfect.
Preheat your oven to 170°c.
Spread the leaves and place a tablespoon of filling centered on the leaf. If you like, you can also use 2 leafs so you have more cabbage each roll. Roll up the center horizontal first, since this is the stiff part of the leaf. Fold then both ends over and secure with a toothstick.
Optional you can add a bit creme fresh before closing the leafs.
Spread them in a baking pan and paint with a bit of sesame oil on top. Bake approx 20min in the oven, so the leafs still stay fresh and do not loose their vitamins. Serve with potatoes or rice.
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