Sarmale Recipe: The Best Romanian Cabbage Rolls Recipe You Must Try

Sarmale in your mind? We are here to help you prepare the best Romanian sarmale recipe with pickled cabbage. Sarmale can be made in various ways, for example, sarmale with a mixture of beef and pork, or vegetarian sarmale, with a mixture of rice and veggies. Both taste amazing!

The Best Romanian Sarmale Recipe with Pickled Cabbage

Sarmale can be made with pickled cabbage leaves or vine leaves. We chose the pickled cabbage leaves. Let’s get started with our sarmale recipe.

Also discover: Top 10 Traditional Romanian foods you should try now

Ingredients

–    1 large pickled cabbage

–    700 g minced beef

–    500 g minced pork

–    100 ml of oil

–    120 g rice

–    1 small piece smoked ham or bacon

–    2 medium chopped onions

–    1 tsp paprika

–    1 tsp salt

–    1 tsp black pepper

–    Some peppercorns

–    Dill

–    Thyme

Cooking Method for Sarmale Recipe

1. Place a pan on medium heat and add 50 ml oil. Once hot add onions and cook 2-3 minutes.
2. Add salt and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add rice and fry it until golden, once golden add paprika. Mix it well.
3. Add a little bit of water, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, turn off the flame and put aside to cool down.
5. Now prepare the cabbage leaves.

Also try: Shrimp fettucine pasta

Tip: If you don’t have pickled cabbage, bring water to a boil, add lemon juice and cabbage leaves. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until softened.

6. Add the minced meat over the rice mixture and combine everything well.
7. Stuff the cabbage leaves with meat mixture and roll. Make sure you secure them with toothpicks or strings if you are a beginner.
8. In a large pot, add some chopped cabbage, then place the sarmale.
9. Add in between the sarmale layers’ peppercorns, bacon, salt, pepper, thyme, and some tomato sauce.
10. Cover sarmale with hot water, cook it in a preheated oven at 150 °C for 2-3 or cook it over low flame for 4-5 hours.

Also try: tomato soup with tortellini