Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls | Stuffed Cabbage | Golubtsi
 

#SlavaUkraini. Not sure there is any better hashtag than this. It's been 14 days. FOURTEEN days... It's hard to be writing this post as I have to pretend it all is not happening. Donations have been made, clothes and other first necessity goods delivered, so I have now decided to show my support to Ukraine and its people through cooking. I know it is a tear in the ocean, but I trust our support will pay off. Hopefully soon... I have never had a chance to know Ukrainian cuisine and it is now that I am realizing how wide and delicious it is. We are going to make Ukrainian cabbage rolls, called golubtsi in Ukrainian.

The Ukrainian cabbage rolls (golubtsi) are so so so tasty! I have seen a number of different recipes on how to make them, and I tried to take the best out of them to come up with the recipe you are going to read below. The Ukrainian cabbage rolls may seem difficult to make, but it is actually enough to make them once to understand how easy and quick it is.

I couldn't say if the Ukrainian cabbage rolls is the national dish of the country (if you know the answer or more of their story, let me know in the comments!), yet I am sure if they had to compete, they would definitely be on top of the stage. So what is so special about the flavor of these stuffed cabbage rolls, especially considering their simple and inexpensive ingredients? It is all about juicy meat, cabbage and carrot flavor, and of course the sauce!

What I have realized and loved so much about the Ukrainian cabbage rolls is that they can be frozen. This means, you can cook twice or even more of what you would normally do, and freeze them for up to a month. What I loved about it is that, even if demisted, the Ukrainian cabbage rolls (golubtsi) do not lose their flavor at all. What I do is that I take them out of the freezer in the evening, keep them in fridge overnight, and enjoy them the day after for lunch or dinner (whole or slightly cut and heated in a pan).

Before we move on to the recipe, let me share some tips: first, you may want to get the cabbage leaves ready a day before (keeping them in fridge overnight is absolutely okay!). Second, boiling some potatoes will make the Ukrainian cabbage rolls even better, but this is really optional as they are super delicious either way.

Remember to take a picture of your Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls | Stuffed Cabbage | Golubtsi and let me see the result on Instagram by tagging me @pasta_pesto_pizza. I can't wait to see yours!

Enjoy! Find out more of the best healthy recipes here.

And last but definitely not least, #SlavaUkraini
Servings: 16 yield(s)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 80 mins
Ingredients
  • 500 g minced meat (I use beef and pork)
  • 1 large head of cabbage
  • 3 medium onions
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 1 l beef stock
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 cup white rice
  • 2 tsp salt (for rice water and meat)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400F)
    2. Cabbage leaves
  2. Fill a large soup pot with water (approx a half) and some salt, bring it to boil
  3. Cut out the core of the cabbage
  4. Place the cabbage in water and let it boil. If your pot is not large enough and so not all the cabbage is covered with water, you may use a smaller one; in this case just turn the cabbage from time to time to make sure it is all boiled
  5. Once boiled, start pealing the leaves, you will see how easy it is as the cabbage softens a lot when boiled
  6. Trim the thick stem part of each leaf; we won't need this part as it will be hard to fold the rolls and it is too think to eat so just discard it
  7. SAVE THE WATER as we will need it later
    8. Rice
  8. Take a small pot, add rinsed rice and salt, cover with water and let it boil "al dente" (the cooking will finish in the oven so do not overcook!)
    9. Meat filling
  9. In a bowl, add your meat, rice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper
  10. Add some olive oil into a medium pan and slightly cook chopped onion and shredded carrots. Then add them to the meat (leaving some carrots for later) and combine well
    11. Preparing the rolls
  11. Take one leaf of the cabbage and place some meat near the stem end
  12. Folding: start by folding the sides to the middle, then the stem over filling and roll up. Place each of the roll in a plate
  13. Place a pan over high heat, add some olive oil and place the rolls of cabbage letting them cook for a couple of minutes each side
  14. Add some olive oil in the cast iron, add some of the carrots and place cabbage rolls so that the folded side would be facing down. Do this with all the rolls placing them one over the other
    15. Sauce
  15. Heat the pan with the remaining carrots, add beef stock and sour cream. Combine and let it simmer for a few moments
  16. Pour it over the cabbage rolls and add cabbage water up to the middle of the last layer
    17. Time for the oven!
  17. Cover the lid of your cast iron dish and bake it for 20min at 200°C (400F), then lower the temperature to 180° (360F) and keep baking for another 40min
  18. Our Ukrainian cabbage rolls are ready! #SlavaUkraini
Recipe Notes

  • If you don't have the cast iron dish, you can make the Ukrainian cabbage rolls in a regular baking pan making sure it is high enough to place all the cabbage rolls. Cover the rolls with some aluminum foil for the first 20min of baking

 

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