Wrap Battle

Spiced Beef and Rice-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce

1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerMiddle Eastern
Herb's take

Channeling Middle Eastern classics, this dish wraps a fragrant beef-and-rice filling in tender cabbage leaves and bakes them in a tangy tomato sauce. If you’ve never rolled cabbage before, you’re about to level up both your dinner game and your dexterity.

Equipment needed
  • 9x13 inch baking dish

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch the cabbage leaves for 2–3 minutes until pliable, then transfer to a towel-lined tray. Reserve 12 large leaves.
  2. 02
    In a small saucepan, combine rice and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, then drain any excess water. Rice should be just barely tender. Set aside to cool.
  3. 03
    Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. 04
    Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer, just until fragrant.
  5. 05
    Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
  6. 06
    Sprinkle in cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
  7. 07
    Remove from heat. Stir in cooked rice, parsley, mint, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Let cool slightly.
  8. 08
    Spread a thin layer of crushed tomatoes (about 1/2 cup) on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  9. 09
    Lay a cabbage leaf on your work surface. Place about 1/4 cup beef-rice filling near the base. Fold the sides in, then roll tightly away from you to enclose. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
  10. 10
    Arrange all the rolls seam-side down in the baking dish.
  11. 11
    In a bowl, whisk together remaining crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar, remaining 1 tsp salt, and water. Pour evenly over the rolls.
  12. 12
    Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the top. Cover tightly with foil.
  13. 13
    Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Uncover, spoon sauce over the rolls, and bake 10 minutes more.
  14. 14
    Let rest 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set and juices to redistribute.

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