You may cook Hungarian cabbage rolls in a large pot and watch them devotedly or put them in the oven and let them develop on their own. I use a deep roasting pan.
Hungarian recipes generally call for entire heads of sour cabbage, in which case the cabbage has to be rinsed. Otherwise the dish will be unpleasantly sour. But if we combine fresh cabbage with wine sauerkraut, the cabbage roll will always have the right amount of pungency. Add salt only to the filling because the sauerkraut and the smoked tofu or soy adds plenty of salt to the dish.
Assemble and cook the cabbage rolls on day one. Let them cool and keep them chilled overnight. In Hungary we say only cabbage is good when reheated, so trust me, this will be lovely. You can make the roux the next day. After that the cabbage rolls are ready for serving. Eat it with a thick slice of rustic bread and sour cream.
YIELDS
4
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1 small cabbage
- 1/4 cup basmati rice
- 600 g smoked tofu or smoked vegan sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tbsp marjoram
- 1/2 tbsp caraway seeds
- to taste salt, pepper
- 5 tbsp Hungarian paprika powder
- 8 cups sauerkraut
- 2 large peppers, chopped
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped without skin
- 4 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp hot hungarian paprika paste
- vegan sour cream
- 1 small cabbage
- 1/4 cup basmati rice
- 600 g smoked tofu or smoked vegan sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbs oil
- 1/2 tbs marjoram
- 1/2 tbs caraway seeds
- to taste salt, pepper
- 2+3 tbs Hungarian paprika powder
- 8 cups sauerkraut
- 2 large pepper, chopped
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped without skin
- 4 tbs rice flour
- 1 tbs hot hungarian paprika paste
- vegan sour cream
Directions
1. Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to boil. Then carefully, as not to cut yourself, cut the cabbage leaves off with a sharp knife and add them to the pot and start simmering it. When the leaves would have softened enough to fold them without breaking remove them onto a platter. Handle with care, it will be hot. You will need intact cabbage leaves for rolling. Do not discard the cabbage stock.
2. While the cabbage cooks, you can start on the stuffing.
3. In a large bowl scramble the tofu and mix together with the rice, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder, marjoram and caraway seeds, onion and garlic.
4. Meanwhile you make the rolls you can preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. Place a small handful of stuffing inside a softened cabbage leaf and wrap it up like a burrito.
6. Place the cabbage rolls on a tray temporarily. When all the stuffing is gone you can begin the layering.
7. Scatter 4 cups of sauerkraut in a tall pan. Arrange the cabbage rolls on the top.
8. Add the pepper chunks and the tomatoes.
9. Scatter another 4 cups of sauerkraut over everything.
10. Add enough cabbage stock to cover the last layer of cabbage roll.
11. Place the pan in the oven, covered with foil and cook for 4 hours. Then remove from the oven and let it cool.
12. Pour the cabbage with the broth into a separate bowl and cover. Place everything in the fridge for the night.
13. The following day preheat the oven to 180°C, while you make a roux in a nonstick skillet from 4 Tbsp of oil and 4 Tbsp of flour.
14. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 Tbsp of sweet and 1 tsp of hot Hungarian paprika.
15. Stir the paprika roux into the bowl with the cabbage. Taste and adjust the salt.
16. Transfer half of the thickened cabbage back into the pan the cabbage rolls were cooked in. Lay the the cabbage rolls on the top. Cover with the remaining cabbage and the remaining broth.
17. Place in the oven for 2 hours.
Serve the cabbage rolls with vegan sour cream and rustic white bread.
Also by Imola: Vegan Hungarian Marjoram Ragout With Fried New Potatoes
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Photo: Imola Toth
