In her new cookbook, “Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes from Eastern Europe,” Alissa Timoshkina calls cabbage rolls “a culinary genre in their own right.” There are variations across the region, all involving cabbage leaves stuffed with a filling and poached in a sauce. “This seemingly simple dish holds the key to a fascinating story of Eastern Europe, celebrating both its shared history and its regional diversity,” she writes.
Cabbage rolls, or stuffed cabbage, can be eaten as a main course. Some recipes call for fresh leaves while others use fermented ones. Timoshkina encourages cooks to experiment.
For a vegetarian version, substitute mushrooms for the beef. Serves 6-8 Ingredients For the rolls: 1/2 cup long grain white rice vegetable oil, for frying 1 onion, peeled and finely diced 1 carrot, peeled and grated 4–6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 400 grams ground beef (3/4 cup to 1 cup) 1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 10–12 fermented or fresh cabbage leaves 4 bay leaves salt and black pepper, to taste For the sauce: 400 grams diced tomatoes 1 heaped teaspoon brown sugar 1 cup beef stock Directions Parboil the rice (check the packet instructions and halve the time) in very salty water, then drain and set aside. Heat some vegetable oil in a large frying pan or casserole (Dutch oven) and fry the onion and carrot over medium heat with a generous pinch of salt for 10–12 minutes, until golden and soft.
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