Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
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These hearty rolls hide a savory surprise your dinner guests won’t see coming!
Ingredients:
Image credit: All Recipes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup packed chopped Italian parsley (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon dried currants
- 1 head cabbage
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ onion, sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (Optional)
- Sauté the Aromatics:
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, then add oil. Cook ½ diced onion until soft (about 8 minutes). Stir in garlic for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Mix in black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and oregano. Let cool.
- Prepare the Filling:
In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, rice, salt, parsley, almonds, and currants. Add the cooled onion mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Blanch the Cabbage:
Boil a large pot of water. Core the cabbage and simmer the whole head for about 5 minutes until outer leaves loosen. Remove the first two leaves, then continue cooking until more leaves soften (1–2 more minutes). You’ll need 8 large leaves for rolling and about 7 smaller ones for layering.
- Assemble the Rolls:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Trim the thick stem from each cabbage leaf. Place ½ cup of lamb mixture near the base, then roll tightly. Repeat to make 8 rolls.
- Layer & Bake:
Line a casserole dish with smaller cabbage leaves. Arrange rolls on top, season with salt and pepper, then add bay leaves, tomato puree, and chicken broth. Scatter sliced onion over the rolls, cover with remaining leaves, then cover the dish.
- Cook & Serve:
Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until lamb is tender and rice is cooked. Let rest 30 minutes before serving. Drizzle with pan juices and garnish with feta and parsley.
