Wrapped Cabbage with Ground Meat

Sample Dishes from Turkish Cuisine

Wrapped Cabbage with Ground Meat (Etli Lahana Sarması)

Preparation

Remove core of cabbage. Seperate leaves: Simmer in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan, reserving liquid. Drain. Set aside. Combine ground meat, rice, finely chopped onion and parsley, tomato paste, mint, salt and pepper. Add water, mixing thoroughly. Cut cabbage leaves into 2 pieces. remove hard stem in center. Place 1 tablespoon of fılling on wrong side of each leaf. Fold two sides over fılling. Roll into oblong shaped sarmas about 2-2 1/2 cm (1 inch) in diameter and 5-6 cm (2-2 1/2 inch) long. Spread torn cabbage leaves on bottom of a shallow saucepan. Arrange sarmas in pan side by side. Heat reserved liquid. Add to sarmas. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until cabbage and rice are tender. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Servings: 6

Nutritional Value
(in approximately one serving)

Regional Characteristics:

It is cooked throughout the country in winter and served for lunch or supper as a main dish after soup. In some rural areas, precooked green lentil and bulgur are used instead of meat and rice.