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Minced meat sarma

Minced meat sarma is a traditional dish from the Balkans and Middle East. It is made by wrapping a mixture of minced meat (typically beef or lamb) and rice in grape leaves or cabbage leaves, and then cooked by steaming or baking.

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Makes 16

 

By Sertaç+Dirik
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 250g/9oz white baldo rice (or similar white short grain rice)
  • 1 whole Savoy cabbage or white cabbage
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 40g/1½ oz tomato purée
  • 300g/10½oz lamb mince
  • 1 tbsp sweet aleppo pepper
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 300ml/12fl oz chicken stock
  • 125g/4½oz unsalted butter
  • 250g/9oz Turkish yoghurt, to serve
  • sea salt, to taste

Method

  1. Put the rice in a large pan of water, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat – it should be par-cooked until al dente. Drain and then leave to cool.

  2. Make incisions on the core of the cabbage with a sharp knife and add it to a pan of boiling water. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, gently pulling away the outer leaves with tongs as they begin to soften. Then drain the cabbage.

  3. Heat a splash of oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion and 4 chopped garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes then add the tomato purée and cook for 2–3 minutes more. Tip in the lamb mince and cook until browned. Add half the sweet aleppo pepper, cumin, oregano and black pepper to the mince and stir well. Add the parsley once the mince is cooked through, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

  4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 5.

  5. Mix together the cooked rice and mince and set aside for the filling.

  6. Trim the base of the cabbage leaves so they are roughly the same thickness. Fill a quarter of the leaves with the mince mixture and roll up until tight, tucking in the sides as you roll (similar to rolling a spring roll).

  7. Lay the cabbage rolls in an oven-proof tray and fill with the hot chicken stock, then cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes.

  8. While the cabbage is cooking, add the remaining two chopped garlic cloves to the yoghurt in a bowl, along with a splash of water and a pinch of sea salt.

  9. Melt the butter in a pan, over a medium heat. Once melted, add the reserved aleppo pepper. Allow it to foam and keep stirring. Remove from the heat.

  10. Spread the yoghurt mix on the base of the plate and place two cabbage rolls on top. Finish with a drizzle of the aleppo butter.

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