Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 large cabbage
  • 2 pounds /1kg lean ground beef
  • 2 cups uncooked medium grain rice
  • 3 carrots grated
  • 2 large onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 pound /500g back bacon
  • 2 bottles Passata Tomato Puree (24oz/700g)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbs beef stock powder
  • 2 grated carrots
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 5 cloves garlic ( crushed)
  • handful fresh chopped dill
  • 2 bay leaves
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 2-3 tablespoons of Maggi seasoning to taste (optional)
  • finely chopped cabbage leaf leftovers

Instruction

  • Rinse the rice, and cook according to instructions, and allow to cool.
  • Cut out the core from the cabbage and remove the outer leaves. In a large pot of salted water, fully submerge the cabbage, core side down. Bring to a boil and rotate the cabbage (allowing water to fill through the core between the leaves). After about 6-7 minutes, pull off the cabbage leaves as they soften, and allow to cool. Leaves should be soft enough to bend but not overcooked.
  • In a frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté 2 onions until caramelized then add 3 grated carrots for 7 minutes until caramelized.
  • In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, cooked rice, sautéed carrots and onions, 2 eggs, salt and pepper and mix well. 
  • Place 2 tablespoons of meat mixture to the thickest side of the cabbage leaf. Roll up the cabbage, tucking the insides as you go, wrapping as you would a burrito. Your first few might look a bit funny, but it will get easier as you go.
  • Layer a few cabbage leaves in the bottom of your Dutch Oven Pot. Lay the cabbage rolls side by side until the first layer is filled. Place a layer of bacon on the cabbage rolls. Repeat levels until pot is full, I usually get 3 levels.