Best 6 Sarma Stuffed Cabbage Leaves From Dalmatia Recipes

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# Sarma: A Culinary Journey Through Dalmatia

Sarma, a traditional Croatian dish originating from the Dalmatian region, is a symphony of flavors and textures that encapsulates the essence of Croatian cuisine. These stuffed cabbage rolls, meticulously handcrafted with layers of tender cabbage leaves, a flavorful filling of seasoned minced meat, and a rich tomato sauce, are a testament to the culinary artistry of Dalmatia. Join us on a culinary adventure as we delve into the depths of this beloved dish, exploring its history, regional variations, and the secrets behind its unique taste. Discover the art of selecting the perfect cabbage, preparing the filling, and mastering the delicate rolling technique.

Sarma, meaning 'to wrap' in Turkish, holds a special place in Croatian hearts, often gracing family gatherings and festive occasions. The dish's origins can be traced back centuries, with influences from various cultures that have shaped Dalmatia's culinary landscape. Over time, sarma has evolved into a diverse array of regional variations, each with its unique blend of spices and ingredients. From the classic sarma made with minced pork and beef to vegetarian versions featuring a medley of vegetables, the possibilities are endless.

In this article, we present a collection of sarma recipes that capture the essence of Dalmatian cuisine. Our recipes include the traditional sarma made with a combination of minced pork and beef, a vegetarian sarma bursting with colorful vegetables, and a unique seafood sarma that showcases the region's abundant marine bounty. Each recipe is carefully crafted with step-by-step instructions, ensuring that you can recreate these culinary masterpieces in your own kitchen.

Whether you're a seasoned cook or a culinary novice, our sarma recipes are designed to guide you through the process, providing tips and tricks to achieve the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Learn how to select the perfect cabbage, prepare the filling, and master the delicate rolling technique that gives sarma its iconic shape. As you embark on this culinary journey, you'll discover why sarma is not just a dish but a cherished tradition that brings people together.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

SARMA, STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES FROM DALMATIA



Sarma, Stuffed Cabbage Leaves from Dalmatia image

This is from Saveurs de Croatie and is highly recommended by my dear friend in Serbia who says "We always want to take big pot home" when her mother in law makes it and invites the family.

Provided by Annacia

Categories     Pork

Time 2h30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 pickled cabbage (you may also use kale for wraping)
2 tablespoons oil
60 ml smoked bacon, in small pieces (1/4 cup)
1 onion, minced
1 head garlic, mince the cloves
450 g ground beef (1 lb)
450 g ground pork (or ham,1 lb)
450 g diced tomatoes (1 lb, not drained)
250 ml uncooked rice (1 cup)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

  • Remove any wilted or bruised leaves from the cabbage and cut out the center core.
  • Pour boiling water over the cabbages to soften.
  • Meanwhile, in the oil, sauté the bacon and onion until the bacon is cooked.
  • Add minced garlic.
  • Beat the egg and add the salt, pepper, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, ground beef, pork or ham and half the tomatoes.
  • Add the bacon mixture and rice and combine thoroughly.
  • Separate the cabbage leaves and drain.
  • Place a heaping tablespoon of stuffing at the core end of each cabbage leaf and roll up carefully, tucking in the ends.
  • Layer the rolls in a Dutch oven or heavy kettle.
  • Chop up the small unused leaves and place on top.
  • Pour the remaining tomatoes and juice over top and add enough water to cover the rolls.
  • Cover and simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

SARMA - BOSNIAN STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES



Sarma - Bosnian Stuffed Cabbage Leaves image

There are different versions of this recipe from all over the Balkans. You may be able to get sour cabbage from an Eastern European market; if not, you can boil the cabbage heads until soft enough to work with (the dish will taste slightly different - maybe add some vinegar to the broth). It is a very filling dish! Don't worry about leftovers, they taste just fine reheated (use the stove, not the microwave)!

Provided by IronChefZahra

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 3h30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 lbs sour cabbage leaves (or one large head)
10 ounces ground veal (beef or lamb may be used if you prefer)
1/3 cup rice
1 medium onion, finely minced
salt and pepper
paprika
beef stock or water
butter and sour cream, to serve

Steps:

  • Separate the cabbage leaves, being careful not to tear them.
  • Mix meat, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  • Place about a tablespoon or more (use your own judgment based on the size of the leaves) of the meat mixture into each cabbage leaf, near its base.
  • Begin rolling the leaf from the base into a thick cylinder, tucking in the sides after the first "roll."
  • Layer the cylinders tightly into a medium-sized or large pot.
  • Cover the sarma with beef stock or water (I find that if you use water, it makes its own broth anyways with the meat as it cooks).
  • Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least three hours.
  • Serve with butter and sour cream, with or without some of the cooking liquids according to your preference.
  • *Boiled potatoes are often eaten with sarma, and they go quite well together.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 226.5, Fat 5.2, SaturatedFat 2, Cholesterol 58.1, Sodium 100, Carbohydrate 28.3, Fiber 5.8, Sugar 9.3, Protein 18.3

SARMA (STUFFED CABBAGE)



Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage) image

For this satisfying dish, cabbage leaves are stuffed with a seasoned mixture of rice, ground beef, pork and ham. They are then laid on a bed of sauerkraut and simmered to completion. This is the best stuffed cabbage recipe I've ever tried.

Provided by Bea Gassman

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Cabbage

Time 3h15m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 large head cabbage
1 pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground ham
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 pound sauerkraut
1 cup tomato juice
water to cover

Steps:

  • Place cabbage in the freezer for a few days. The night before making the rolls, take it out to thaw.
  • In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ham, rice, onion, egg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form meat mixture into oblong balls, using 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time. Then, wrap a cabbage leaf around each ball.
  • Spread the sauerkraut in the bottom of a large pot, then layer cabbage rolls on top, placing them seam-side down. Pour tomato juice over rolls, then add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 531.7 calories, Carbohydrate 43.8 g, Cholesterol 140.6 mg, Fat 22.7 g, Fiber 8.2 g, Protein 38.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.5 g, Sodium 1135.3 mg, Sugar 10.3 g

CROATIAN SARMA RECIPE (STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)



Croatian Sarma Recipe (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) image

My Croatian sarma recipe was years in the making. With hints and tips from Croatia and Australia, I've perfected my sarma recipe to now share it with you.

Provided by Chasing the Donkey

Categories     Croatian Recipes In English

Number Of Ingredients 22

Entire pickled cabbage head
1 kg of mincemeat (2.2 lbs). I prefer 50% pork neck and 50% veal, but you can use whatever you like best
200 g of finely diced špeck or smoked bacon (8 oz)
4 peeled & crushed garlic cloves
1/2 bunch roughly chopped parsley leaves
3 Tbls. of soda water or a big pinch of bicarbonate soda
1 cup of uncooked rice
1 1/2 Tbls. Vegeta
1 Tbls. hot ground paprika (optional)
1 Tbls. sweet paprika (optional)
2 Tbls. breadcrumbs (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
3 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
100 g diced smoked špeck/pancetta or smoked bones (4 oz)
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
2 carrots diced small
400 g (small tin) passata (2 cups)
1/2 kg shredded sauerkraut (3 cups). Make sure you give it a very good rinse in fresh water before using
Salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Take an entire pickled cabbage head. You'll find these on Amazon or in European delicatessens in the chilled section. Wash each leaf thoroughly. Remove the thick part of the stem without tearing the leaves. It's best to allow the leaves to drain on some paper towel or pat each one dry
  • Take a large mixing bowl, and combine mincemeat, speck, garlic, parsley leaves, soda water or bicarbonate soda, rice, Vegeta, hot paprika (optional), sweet paprika (optional), breadcrumbs (optional), Salt and pepper, egg & olive oil
  • Mix all of the ingredients until well combined
  • You want each of the leaves to be about the same size so that each cabbage roll cooks at the same time. So go ahead and cut any large leaves in half, and also join two smaller leaves together as you go
  • Take approx 3 tablespoons of the minced meat, and gently combine in the palm of your hand. Do not roll or compress as this will make them too dense when you eat them
  • Place the meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf and roll away from you. Then tuck in the sides of the leaf gently into the meat. There should be no exposed meat. If there is, remove some of the filling
  • Set the sarma aside, and prepare the sauce
  • In a shallow saucepan, or even better, a Le Creuset cast-Iron dish, splash in some extra virgin olive oil, add the 2 diced onions and cook until transparent on low heat. Then add the 2 diced carrots, diced speck, and parsley. Continue to fry on low heat until carrots start to soften
  • Add the shredded sauerkraut and create a layer on the bottom of the saucepan. Now, pack the Croatian sarma into the saucepan. They should be packed close together.
  • Pour in boiling water so that it just covers the sarma. Add the passata and a pinch of salt and pepper. Every 20 minutes, give the saucepan a shake (do not stir them or they will break) and let them simmer for 2 hours on a low-medium heat

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES (KAALDOLMER)



Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Kaaldolmer) image

Stuffed cabbage leaves are popular all over the world, and in Scandinavia cabbage leaves are filled with well-seasoned tidbits. This recipe can be prepared in advance and reheated in their sauce just before serving. This recipe is from Scandia's in Los Angeles, and the recipe is from "A Treasury of Great Recipes" by Mary & Vincent Price. This is great served with mashed potatoes and buttered green beans as a main dish, or it can be used as an appetizer serving the individual rolls.

Provided by breezermom

Categories     Pork

Time 2h15m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 large cabbage
water
salt
2 tablespoons rice
2 cups milk
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal, may substitue ground sirloin
1 teaspoon salt
5 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef consomme
12 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

  • Cut the core from a large cabbage and cook in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and remove 24 large outer leaves.
  • Simmer 2 tbsp rice in 2 cups milk for 40 minutes. Cool.
  • Mix 1/2 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb ground veal or sirloin, and 1 tsp salt. Gradually beat in 5 eggwhites, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. Slowly add the rice mixture to make a smooth creamy filling. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground white pepper and 1 medium onion, minced.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut the heavy thick part of the stalks from the cabbage leaves. Take one leaf at a time and overlap slightly to close up the opening left by removing the stalk. Put a tablespoon of the meat filling on each leaf. Roll leaf over once, turn sides over filling, then roll to the end of leaf, completely enclosing the filling.
  • Arrange the rolls in a buttered baking pan (9x12 1/2 inches). Add 1 10 1/2 oz can of beef consomme and spread each roll with 1/2 tsp molasses. Bake in the moderately hot oven for 30 minutes. Turn each roll and bake for 30 minutes longer.
  • Arrange the cabbage rolls side by side in a warm serving casserole.
  • For the sauce:.
  • Stir into liquid remaining in pan: 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water. Cook over direct heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES



Stuffed Cabbage Leaves image

Make and share this Stuffed Cabbage Leaves recipe from Food.com.

Provided by P J D Denny

Categories     Meat

Time 1h40m

Yield 1 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 large cabbage
1/2 kg beef mince (ground meat)
1/2 cup rice
1 onion, finely chopped
to taste pepper
1 cup butter
10 1/2 tablespoons flour (plain)
3 eggs
2 lemons

Steps:

  • Bring a large saucepan of water with salt to the boil.
  • Meanwhile remove outer leaves and hard stalk from the cabbage. Wash it and put into the boiling water for 10 minutes.
  • Mix the mince with the rice, salt & pepper and knead together well.
  • Take each cabbage leaf separately and put on each one a tablespoonful of the mince mixture. Fold the two ends of the leaf inwards and roll it up into a narrow sausage shape. Place some spare cabbage leaves on the bottom of the pan then put the stuffed leaves in concentric circles.
  • Place a heavy plate on top of them to prevent them from breaking up during cooking.
  • Pour water to cover them and boil for 60-80 minutes.
  • When they are cooked put them on a flat dish and prepare the sauce. Put the rest of the butter to melt, add the flour and stir.
  • Add some stock from the cooked leaves, stirring all the time and beat in the eggs with the lemon juice. Take the sauce off the heat. Serve the cabbage rolls with the sauce poured over them.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 4151.3, Fat 301.5, SaturatedFat 160.5, Cholesterol 1401, Sodium 2402.8, Carbohydrate 234.6, Fiber 39.9, Sugar 48.4, Protein 140

Tips:

  • Select the right cabbage: Choose a large, firm head of cabbage with tightly packed leaves. Look for one that is heavy for its size.
  • Prepare the cabbage leaves properly: Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling water for a few minutes until they are pliable. This will make them easier to roll and prevent them from cracking.
  • Use a variety of fillings: Sarma can be filled with a variety of meats, vegetables, and grains. Common fillings include ground beef, pork, lamb, rice, and vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery. You can also add spices and herbs to taste.
  • Roll the sarma tightly: Roll the sarma tightly to prevent the filling from falling out. You can use a toothpick or skewer to secure the rolls.
  • Cook the sarma slowly: Simmer the sarma in a covered pot for at least 1 hour, or until the cabbage leaves are tender and the filling is cooked through.
  • Serve with your favorite sides: Sarma is traditionally served with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, or yogurt sauce. You can also serve it with a side of bread or salad.

Conclusion:

Sarma is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a great way to use up leftover cabbage leaves and other vegetables. With a little planning and effort, you can make a delicious and satisfying meal that your family and friends will love.

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