Posting in the group: Useful tips
The main thing in cabbage rolls is not only the filling, but also the cabbage leaves, which need to be properly separated and prepared. If previously only a few methods were available to housewives, now they compete in the ability to do everything quickly and correctly, and some keep their experience secret.
The taste of cabbage rolls is influenced by the variety, type of cabbage chosen for the dish, the size of the leaves, and also how soft they were. The article describes step-by-step preparation with which you can cook a real masterpiece.
Cooking a whole head of cabbage: how and how much to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls
So, the initial data:
- cabbage - 1 fork;
- pan - min. 5 liters.
The heads of cabbage that we buy in winter are no longer young. They are strong, dense and do not come apart easily. Now we will look at a method where you need to boil a whole head of cabbage for separation.
Place a large pot of water on the fire. Large enough so that it can accommodate both cabbage and water, which, by the way, should be enough to cover the forks. Turn on the heat and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, use a sharp knife with a sharp long blade to cut out the stalk.
When the water boils, lower the whole cabbage into the pan. Leave it there for 2 minutes and carefully remove it onto a board with a slotted spoon. Do not turn off the pan yet and do not remove it from the stove.
When you can touch the fork, remove the top leaves. They have become softer and separate well. As soon as we feel that we are starting to shoot poorly, we put the head of cabbage back into the pan.
We repeat the procedure as many times as we need leaves.
If you get more than the planned number of cabbage rolls, under no circumstances throw away the extra ones. Cool, dry a little, put in a regular plastic bag and put in the freezer. When you decide to cook cabbage rolls again, you will already have cabbage ready for them. All you need to do is take them out of the freezer, defrost them and separate them from each other.
Wrap in cling film and heat in the microwave
The easiest and fastest way will allow you to obtain material for cabbage rolls without tearing or damage. Remove up to 2 kilograms of cabbage from the first leaves, wrap in cling film and place in the microwave at full power for 15 minutes. Then we cut out the stalk and separate it into leaves.
If the cabbage forks is more than 2 kilograms, you will have to separate the leaves in several stages, each time wrapping the rest of the head of cabbage in film and keeping it in the microwave for 10 minutes. To achieve ideal softness for rolling cabbage rolls, place the disassembled leaves again in the microwave for 5 minutes.
They will become transparent and softened, cabbage rolls from such leaves will turn out smooth and beautiful. We cut off the rough parts of the leaves and use only the smooth surface. This method is used if you want to cook small cabbage rolls: the cabbage base, prepared in the microwave, is pliable and plastic, it will wrap perfectly even in a small envelope or triangle.
How to remove leaves from cabbage for cabbage rolls
When the cabbage is not too dense and you understand that you can separate the leaves without boiling the whole head, proceed as follows.
At the base (near the stalk) we cut the topmost leaf and remove it. Then we find the next one and cut and remove it in the same way.
In any case, the cabbage rolls removed for cooking are too hard. They will not be wrapped in the “envelope” as they should. They need to be made softer.
This is also done using boiling water. Boil water in a saucepan. Already a smaller amount than with the first method. Place the leaves in boiling water one at a time for a few seconds and remove.
Ready!
Ingredients:
- White cabbage - 1 piece (it is advisable to use young cabbage, then the cabbage rolls will be very tender)
- Rice - 1 Cup (boil until half cooked)
- Minced meat - 500 grams (you can use ready-made pork or pork-beef minced meat, or cook it yourself)
- Onions - 1-2 pieces
- Carrots - 1-2 pieces
- Tomato paste - 1-2 tbsp. spoons (for sauce)
- Flour - 1-2 tbsp. spoons (for sauce)
- Spices - 1 To taste (salt, garlic, seasonings, etc.)
- Sour cream, herbs - 1 To taste (for serving)
- Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons (for frying onions and carrots)
Number of servings: 2-4
How to separate cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls by freezing
If you have a lot of time on your hands. For example, you planned to cook cabbage rolls for tomorrow. You can prepare cabbage for them in a very simple way that does not require any cooking or other heat treatment. This method is freezing.
All you need to do first is cut out the stalk. Then put the cabbage in a bag and put it in the freezer for 24 hours.
After this time, we take out the forks, put it in a colander or sieve, which we place over a bowl. Let it defrost like this for several hours. It should melt completely. During melting, water will drain from it.
After which the sheets come off easily.
A couple of tips:
- Freeze either a large head of cabbage or 2 at once. Then you can freeze the extra leaves again and have a reserve for later.
- Place the cabbage in the freezer the morning of the day before cooking. Then the next evening you can cook cabbage rolls for dinner.
Easy and simple, but long.
Description of preparation:
In order to give a more attractive appearance to the finished dish, before serving, cabbage rolls in cabbage leaves can be baked in the oven or lightly fried in a frying pan until golden brown.
In accordance with your taste preferences, you can add sour cream, mayonnaise, herbs, your favorite spices to the dish, or prepare a sauce using these products. Below you can find a detailed list of products and a description of how to prepare delicious cabbage rolls in cabbage leaves. Purpose: For lunch / For dinner Main ingredient: Meat / Vegetables / Cabbage / Minced meat Dish: Hot dishes / Cabbage rolls
How to separate cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls: steaming
To prepare cabbage for cabbage rolls, it is also steamed. How to do this, we choose depending on the size of the fork and the steamer (cooker). If forks fit in it, everything is simple.
Remove the stalk. Bring water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. We place the cabbage at the top. Cover the lid. Let stand for 15-20 minutes and remove.
Let it cool, take it apart and then use it to make cabbage rolls.
Now about if the cabbage does not fit into the steamer. What to do then? Take a large saucepan and boil water in it. We place a colander or sieve over the pan, into which we already place the cabbage forks. Steam for about the same amount of time.
Take your time to disassemble the steamer or structure in case the inner sheets do not come off well. We'll just put it back and hold it for another 5-10 minutes.
Cut the stalk and pour boiling water over it
Young cabbage can be poured with boiling water, first cutting out the stalk. The middle of the fork is removed so that the beginning of each leaf is visible. Next, boil water, add citric acid and vinegar to it (0.5 tsp for every 2 liters). This will help maintain the integrity of the cabbage material.
Pour the mixture over the cabbage so that the water gets inside. From the outside, the pump is completely immersed in liquid. Cover the container with a lid, leave for 3-5 minutes or boil for one minute. We take out the forks and separate them into leaves using a fork. You can let it cool and then perform the “undressing” steps.
How to cut cabbage for cabbage rolls with water
This method of preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls is cold. No water, steam or other “hot” methods. Just you, cabbage, a knife and water.
Let's go to the sink. Using a knife, cut off the very first (top) cabbage leaf at its base.
We direct a stream of water of moderate force into this cut.
Use your fingers to move the sheet away so that water flows under it through the cut.
We loosen the sheet with our fingers, the water gets deeper inside into the space between it and the rest of the fork.
And the leaf comes off completely. It takes much longer to describe this process. In fact, 2-3 seconds are enough to remove.
However, after disassembling the cabbage, before you start cooking the cabbage rolls themselves, the leaves will still have to be dipped in boiling water. Since they are fresh, they are elastic and cannot be rolled.
Stuffed cabbage rolls with potatoes in a slow cooker
Photo: Justyna Kaminska / Shutterstock
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage weighing 600–700 g;
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves garlic
- 150 g smoked bacon;
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil;
- 500 g potatoes;
- 200 g minced beef;
- salt - to taste;
- ground black pepper - to taste;
- 700 ml vegetable or chicken broth;
- ½ teaspoon paprika;
- 2 bay leaves.
Preparation
Cut the stalk from the cabbage and remove the outer leaves. Place the head of cabbage in boiling water for 4–5 minutes, cool and disassemble into leaves. Carefully cut off the thick veins from them.
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the bacon into small cubes and fry in vegetable oil for 1–2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Peel the potatoes, grate them on a coarse grater and squeeze lightly. Mix with minced meat and bacon. Salt and pepper the filling to taste.
Place some meat on the base of the sheet, tuck the edges and roll it into a tight envelope. Wrap the remaining cabbage rolls and place them in the multicooker bowl. Pour in the broth, add paprika and bay leaf. Cook in the “Stew” mode for 30–40 minutes.
Take note
