Romanian Sarmale, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

A traditional Romanian dish that it's on everyone's table at Christmas.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 30 rolls

Ingredients

• 1  sour cabbage
• 500  g beef mince
• 6  tablespoons risotto rice
• 1  egg
• 1  carrot
• 1  slice  bread, soaked in
•  milk
• 1  onion
• 100 -150  ml tomato paste
• 3  slices smoked bacon
• 7  peppercorns
•  salt

Directions

1. Peel the cabbage leaves one by one, cut them in half if they are too big and remove the stork.
2. Chop the onion and carrot and fry them in a bit of oil with the rice.
3. Mix the mince meat with the egg, fried onion, the slice of bread and a pinch of salt(be careful not to put a lot of salt because the sour cabbage is already salted).
4. Place a tbsp of meat on the cabbage leaf and roll it tight then push the ends in with your finger.
5. Chop the rest of the cabbage you didn't use sprinkling half of it on the bottom of the pan then add the tomato paste and sliced bacon.
6. Put the cabbage rolls in the pan.
7. Cover the cabbage rolls with water then sprinkle the bael leaves, peppercorns and the rest of the chopped cabbage.
8. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 1 hour or until the cabbage it's softened.
9. Serve with mamaliga and a chilly.
10. ENJOY!