🥬 Sarmale (Romanian cabbage rolls)

Name: Sarmale (Romanian cabbage rolls)
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Romania
Ingredients: 1 large head of cabbage (fresh or soured), leaves separated; 600 g ground pork; 100 g rice, rinsed; 1 onion, finely chopped; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; Dried thyme, dill, salt and pepper; 150 g sour cream to serve

Origin: Romania

420kcal

per serving · 300 g

140kcal

per 100 g

21 gProtein7 g / 100 g

24 gFat8 g / 100 g

30 gCarbs10 g / 100 g

Sarmale are Romania's beloved cabbage rolls: cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of ground pork and rice, braised slowly in a tomato sauce until meltingly tender. The result is rich, tangy and gently herby. They are served hot with a generous spoonful of sour cream and are a must on the table at Christmas, Easter and weddings.

Diets

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Low-carb10 g carbs per 100 g

Not vegetarianbecause of: ground pork

Not veganbecause of: ground pork, sour cream

Contains porkbecause of: ground pork

Contains dairybecause of: sour cream

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Milk

What it is made of

cabbage leavesground porkricetomatosour cream

Recipe

6 servings180 min

Ingredients

1 large head of cabbage (fresh or soured), leaves separated
600 g ground pork
100 g rice, rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped
400 g chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Dried thyme, dill, salt and pepper
150 g sour cream to serve

Method

If using fresh cabbage, blanch the leaves for 2–3 minutes until pliable.
Soften the onion in the oil, then mix with the pork, rice, thyme, salt and pepper.
Roll a spoonful of filling in each leaf, tucking in the sides.
Pack the rolls into a pot, pour over the tomatoes and enough water to just cover.
Cover and braise on low heat or in a 160 °C oven for 2.5–3 hours.
Serve hot, sprinkled with dill, with sour cream on the side.

How to make it lighter

Use lean ground pork or trim fatty mince to cut calories.
Take a teaspoon of sour cream instead of a heaped spoonful.
Serve three rolls with a salad rather than with polenta.

History

Sarmale arrived in Romania with Ottoman cuisine — the name shares a root with the Turkish sarma, 'wrapped' — and were adapted with pork and local cabbage. They are often described as Romania's national dish and are central to holiday meals.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →