Ingredients
- 1 large white cabbage
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons white rice
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or veal
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
Directions
Break off cabbage leaves and cut out hard spines with knife. Boil pot of salted water and add leaves, simmer several seconds, and remove when they begin to soften. Place cabbage leaves on paper towels and allow to cool. In greased frying pan, brown chopped onions and rice, then add 1/2 cup hot water. Cover and allow rice to swell, then cool several minutes. In large bowl, mix together meat, rice, parsley, salt and pepper. On wooden board, lay out a cabbage leaf, and crossing over the part that was cut out, add spoonful of meat mixture, fold in sides, and roll leaf over meat to form sausage shape. Repeat with the rest of the leaves and meat. Roll up small remaining cabbage leaves and cut into strips. Slice tomatoes. In large casserole dish, place several tomato slices in bottom, followed by half the shredded cabbage, and tight layer of stuffed cabbage. Cover with another layer of tomato and stuffed cabbage, and cover with remaining tomato slices and shredded cabbage. Dilute tomato paste in 4 cups water. Add lemon juice and garlic and pour liquid over cabbage. Cover and bake at 325° 1 hour. Add more diluted tomato paste if liquid lowers to half its original level. Serve hot with mamaliga (a Hungarian version of Polenta) and sour cream. Serves 6.
