Greek Recipes
Kali Orexi’s Lahanodolmades – Greek Beef-Stuffed Cabbage Leaves Baked in Red Sauce Recipe
I am sharing with you my beautiful recipe of Lahanodolmades – Stuffed Cabbage Leaves. Traditionally lahanodolmades are boiled and then dressed with an avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce. These lahanodolmades are a little different – they are baked in a light tomato sauce. I was introduced to this method by Toula, who also shares her beautiful Spring Lamb with Greens dish with Kali Orexi.
There is a bit of effort in preparing these – but the YUM factor is definitely worth it!!!
Try them and please let me know what you think!
KO's Lahanodolmades - Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves Baked in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage (that fits in your pot)
- 2 medium brown onions, diced
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVVO) + more for drizzling
- 500g beef mince or pork mince or a mixture of both
- ½ cup cup passata
- ½ cup medium grain rice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 – 1 ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 30 g parsley
- 20 g mint
- 50 g dill
- 400 ml additional passata
Instructions
Preparing the cabbage
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Cut the core/stalk out of the base of the cabbage
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Place the cabbage in a large pot with the open side face-down
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Fill the pot with water and bring to a gentle boil
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Boil for approximately 30 minutes and then turn the cabbage over
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Boil for a further 15-20 minutes
Preparing the filling
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Grate the cabbage core
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Add the grated cabbage and the brown onions to a fry pan
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Add ½cup EVOO and sauté till the cabbage and onions have caramelised (this is a slow process – you need to reduce the heat as the water content in the cabbage and onions decreases) – this caramelisation process times nicely with the cabbage leaf prep
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On very low heat, add the mince to the pan and just break it down into small pieces and coat it with the EVOO –you do not need to brown it
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Transferthe onions/cabbage/mince meat to a bowl and add the ½ cup passata, rice, salt,pepper and herbs – mix well
Preparing the lahanodolmades
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Using tongs and holding only onto the midrib of the cabbage leaves, remove the outer leaves of the cabbage – remove 4-6leaves at a time
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Leave the cabbage in the simmering water to continue softening and then remove more leaves as you need them
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Drizzle a medium-large baking dish with some EVOO
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Lay down 2-3 cabbage leaves on the base of the baking dish and drizzle with more EVOO
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Pour a little passata on top and season with salt too!
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Place a cabbage leaf on your work surface with the midrib facing towards you
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Cut out the thicker section of the midrib and set aside (I cook the midribs with EVOO till they brown and then add eggs – they are delicious!)
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Take approximately 65g of the filling and form into a quenelle shape and place it horizontally just above the point where you cut out the midrib
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Fold over the cabbage leaf lobes (closest to you) onto the filling. Then fold one side of the leaf inwards and then the other. Finally, roll the lahanodolma upwards – from bottom to top - to form a neat, cylindrical parcel
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Lay down the lahanodolmades, so their open seam faces downwards, and they fit snugly in the baking dish – I make 16 lahanodolmades from these ingredients and they fit perfectly into my baking dish that is 36 x 32cm
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Pour a little passata on top of the lahanodolmades (I used 300ml passata – you can use more or less), season with salt and drizzle with more EVOO
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Bake at 180ºC fan-forced covered with slightly vented aluminium foil for 1- 1 ¼ hours
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Carefully flip the lahanodolmades in the pan and then bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes more – till they have softened and browned a little
Serving the lahanodolmades
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Serve with yoghurt and/or feta!
Kali Orexi!