VideoNEW
Podcasts
Blogs
Watch Video
Cuisine Category
TV Show
Food Category
Cabbage rolls recipe (sarma)
Created by Branka Roncevic
- Cuisine: Croatian
- Prep Time: 20 min(s)
- Cook Time: 3 hr(s) 10 min(s)
- Serves 8–10
A delicious recipe that is bursting with flavour. It is best served in the traditional Croatian way with lashings of creamy mashed potato. You can prepare the meat stock in advance (dried pork ribs are available from European delis). Note that whole pickled cabbage leaves come in jars from European delis and some butchers.
Ingredients
Stock500 g - chicken wings
250 g - beef oxtail
1 piece - dried pork rib
2 - celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 - carrots, chopped
1 - vegetable stock cube
salt and pepper
Rolls
125 ml - vegetable oil
8 - shallots, diced
3 - garlic cloves, crushed
250 g - speck, finely chopped
2 tbsp - sweet paprika
500 g - minced beef topside
500 g - minced pork neck
1 - vegetable stock cube, crumbled
1 tsp - mustard powder
1 tsp - freshly ground black pepper
250 g - arborio rice
2 - eggs, beaten
½ cup - chopped flat-leaf parsley
20 - pickled cabbage leaves (large leaves can be cut in half to make 2 leaves)
To cook
200 g - sauerkraut
500 g - speck, cut into 3 × 5 cm pieces
3 tbsp - vegetable oil
2 - garlic cloves, crushed
2 - shallots, diced
2 tsp - mustard powder
2 tbsp - plain flour
1–2 - vegetable stock cubes
1 tbsp - sweet paprika
Preparation
Place the stock ingredients in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and cool before using, skimming the fat from the surface if necessary.To make the rolls, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots, garlic and speck for a few minutes, then stir in the paprika. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Combine with the minced meat, stock cube, mustard powder and pepper. Stir in the rice, egg and parsley. Mix well with your hands.
Place the cabbage leaves on a board and add 3 tablespoons of the mixture to each one. Shape the stuffing into a sausage and roll up inside the leaves, tucking the ends of the leaves back into the rolls.
To cook the rolls, lay the sauerkraut over the base of a large pot. Add the rolls, tucking the speck pieces in between. There will be 2–3 layers in the pot. Pour over the cooled stock and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 1½ hours.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, shallots, mustard powder, flour, stock cubes and paprika. Stir to a thick paste then add a small amount of stock from the simmering rolls to make a smooth sauce. Pour over the rolls and stir through. Simmer the rolls for a further 30 minutes.
Serve with mashed potato.
Tip: Pre-prepare the stock.
SBS cook’s notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55–60 g, unless specified.
If you enjoyed this Cabbage rolls recipe (sarma) then browse more Croatian recipes, meat recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Croatian Restaurants
Displaying 14 of 14 Croatian Restaurants.
| Restaurant | Book Online | Suburb | |
| 1. | Maestral Seafood Restaurant | Weston | |
| 2. | De Bortoli Winery and Restaurant | Dixons Creek | |
| 3. | Original Balkan Restaurant | Darlinghurst | |
| 4. | Mediterraneo Charcoal Grill and Wine Bar | Albert Park | |
| 5. | Balkan Continental Restaurant | Darlinghurst | |
| 6. | Misho's Restaurant | Taringa | |
| 7. | Dalmatino | Port Melbourne | |
| 8. | Gianni's Restaurant | Mount Hawthorn | |
| 9. | Morska Vila | Henley Beach | |
| 10. | Katarina Zrinski Restaurant | Footscray |
Comments (16)
Previous
05 Apr 2013 04:42 AEST
Roberta
Mooroolbark
Hmm...Oh yes!
Love this recipe, every day ingredients, authentic taste, fits the budget and feeds a troup. Perfect!
Agree(0 people agree)
Disagree(0 people disagree)
15 Jan 2013 11:13 AEST
blaze
manyana
04 Jun 2012 08:01 AEST
Anastazija
Encounter Bay
Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia etc make Sarma
And I love every country they come from!!! Every family has their own "special" way of making sama. I remember my dad and my uncles going to the markets and buying prob 100 head of cabbage and pickling them in barrels, thats when we knew all the aunties were going to get together to make sarma. My dad always adds smoked pork bones or smoked ham hocks. Personally, I am more of a punjene paprika girl;-)
24 Dec 2011 08:05 AEST
Tony
Strathmore
Great Applause
I made this version of sarma for my daughter's communion. After researching for a considerable amount of time to find the closest version to how my mother use to make it - this was the closest. Although this version is "complicated" it was sure worth every bit of the slog. I served it up next day to a room full of second generation Croations (all backyard critics) - and the compliments were warmfelt with praise. This is a brilliant receipe and I (with my friends) highly recommend it!
24 May 2011 10:44 AEST
Alojz
taylors lakes
key for best sarma
one thing my mama does with the sarma is... she puts smoked ribs in there that gives it the smokey flavour.
also.... the longer you leave the sarma after its cooked the better, and the more its been reheated. sarma is the best to eat after about 4 days after youve cooked it because all the sourness from the sourkraut infuses with the meat.....
PREKRASNO!
12 May 2011 08:48 AEST
Cody
Waterford
The best thing ever
being born into a croatian family my Baka and my mother willl make this more than once a year getting all their ingrediants from Adams small goods a croatian deli. I love helping my mum make this recipe because it is such a beautiful burst of Croatia on your taste buds. Vegeta is the only way to do when is comes to using flavourings :)
30 Mar 2011 07:11 AEST
Cathy Kovac
Balmain
Great recipe: MSG comment
To avoid MSG in cooking is increasingly difficult these days. However, considering the list of ingredients in this recipe ( basically all being fresh), i think this is a bit of an over reaction. Just get over it, and substitute the Vegeta spice for a non MSG- containing vegetable stock. It will still taste amazing!
02 Mar 2011 08:20 AEST
Ana
Balmain
Where to buy pickled cabbage heads(leaves)
Hi David, you can buy the Marco Polo brand of cabbage leaves online from Audrey & Marco www.audreyandmarco.com.au
Michelle-Vegeta does contain MSG but not meaningful amounts...they now have a MSG-free version (Delight) that I've tried, its pretty good but I prefer the original.
ADVERTISEMENT
Featured Food & Recipes
Hot Tips
Rice crackers
Cook large rice crackers in the microwave. Lay across a take away container and cook on HIGH for approx. 1 minute until puffed. Use as an edible serving dish for salads.
Glossary
Berbere
A chilli-hot Ethiopian spice mix that combines sweet spices like cardamom with strong red chilli and paprika.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
