Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage - Holubtsi
Ukrainian stuffed cabbage is known as holubtsi, which literally means "little pigeons." Fillings vary widely and can be meatless or contain any combination of meats, vegetables and grains. The wrapper can variously be cabbage, beet, lettuce or spinach leaves and, even grape leaves in the grape-growing regions of Ukraine. The cooking liquid varies by region and family, and can include broth, tomato juice and sour cream.
Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage - Holubtsi
from http://easteuropeanfood.about.com
This recipe uses a potato-buckwheat filling in this Ukrainian holubtsi recipe.
1 whole head cabbage, about 4 pounds
4 large potatoes, peeled and grated finely
1 small chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buckwheat groats (not kasha - toasted groats), rinsed twice with boiling water and drained [could use rice, half cooked]
Salt and pepper
1 cup sour cream
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves.
When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Drain the potatoes in a sieve or cheesecloth, twisting until the potatoes are dry. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with a little vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) or lemon juice so they don't turn dark, and set aside. Saute the chopped onion in butter in a small skillet until tender, and add to the potatoes, mixing well.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream, and rinsed and drained buckwheat to potato mixture, combining thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place about 1/2 cup of filling on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the filling. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll.
Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup sour cream over the holubtsi, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until buckwheat filling is tender.
Serve with pan juices or hot tomato sauce and more sour cream, if desired, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.
Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).
Note: Since they can be eaten hot or at room temperature, mini cabbage rolls make great appetizers. Just spear them with a frilled toothpick and you're good to go!
Makes about 18 Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Holubtsi
Ukrainian style cabbage rolls stuffed w/ pork & rice
from https://ukrainian-recipes.com/
We’re gonna to cook baked stuffed cabbage rolls. It this fabulous, scrumptious dish, cabbage leaves are wrapped around a balanced mix of ground pork and rice seasoned with black pepper and garlic. I’ll use pork, but you can take whatever ground meat you happen to have – chicken, beef, turkey, or even their mixture. If you want a lighter version, then it’s better to use chicken. To get heartier dish, you can add chopped bacon or salt pork to the ground meat.
1 carrot
1 bulb onion
145 g (5 oz) rice
1 head of cabbage
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 fresh parsley twigs
500 g (17,5 oz) minced pork
2-3 tomatoes/2 tbsp of tomato sauce
sour cream (for serving)
ground black pepper – to taste
salt – to taste
Wash cabbage leaves, put them in salted boiling water, and cook 1-2 minutes until soft. Take out the leaves from the pan and wait till the water drains. Cut out a thick center part of each leaf at the bottom of its stem.
Now let’s make a stuffing.
Peel and chop a bulb onion. Wash, peel, and grate a carrot. Fry the onion and carrot until they get a golden color. Wash and chop parsley. Rinse tomatoes (you can take off the peal if you wish) and cut them finely.
Wash rice and boil it until half done. Peel garlic cloves and crush them. Mix minced pork, rice, garlic, tomatoes, and parsley together. Stir everything thoroughly. Season the stuffing with salt and ground black pepper.
To roll holubtsi, put a cabbage leaf on a flat surface with the stem end facing you. Place about 2⁄3 cup of the filling in the center of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the leaf over firmly to enclose the filling. Then tap the leaf under itself to create a tight bundle. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Arrange stuffed cabbage rolls in a saucepan next to each other so they won't unravel. Pour boiled water above holubtsi and add the mixture of fried onion and carrot. Simmer the rolls in the oven for 20 minutes and then pour sour cream above them. Continue to cook for half an hour until fully done.
Since these Ukrainian cabbage rools can be served hot or at room temperature, they are great both as a warm comfort food on a chilly day or as a hearty appetizer to serve your guests at a party.
Serve cabbage rolls with a generous dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy your meal!
