Traditional Austrian Cabbage Rolls / Cabbage Rolls

Herb roulade with a traditional filling in Austria, consisting of meat and rice. The dish has Hungarian roots, whereby in Hungary the cabbage rolls are prepared without caraway seeds but in a tomato sauce.

1) Briefly roast the rice in a saucepan, add a whole peeled onion, deglaze with water (1 part rice, 2 parts water), season with salt. Bring to the boil briefly, then simmer until the water has completely evaporated / absorbed. 2) Remove the stalk from the cabbage. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan with a steamer, add a little salt and caraway seeds to the water. Steam the cabbage for about 20 minutes. Loosen the outer leaves. The inner core leaves are too small for the roulades, but they are good for a pustasalad, for example.

Mix the rice with the minced meat, caraway seeds, paprika powder and a little salt and pepper. Chop the onion from the rice, add to the meat mixture, press in the garlic, knead everything well. Possibly Add chopped chilli and / or sweet bell peppers.

Place 1-2 heaped tablespoons of meat mixture on larger sheets (or several smaller ones), fold in the edges and roll up. Secure the roulade with a roulade skewer or cooking twine.

Heat the oil in a pan, sear the roulades, deglaze the cooking water and stock (alternatively water and soup cubes) with the cabbage. Cover and place in the hot air oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Remove the lid, turn up to 200 degrees, heat the roulades for a few more minutes.

If you want a thick sauce: heat the oil in a pan, stir in the flour, deglaze with the juice from the roulade pan - depending on the desired consistency. We prefer a lighter (thinner) sauce.

Serve with juice / sauce and boiled potatoes. Since the roulades are already filled with rice, an additional side dish such as potatoes is not a must.

Instead of a "light" sauce made from the (roast) juice or the "thicker" stoving, a tomato sauce or a sauce made from roast juice with mixed in sour cream / creme fraiche would be recommended.

10th recipe tip Hungarian: Hungarian cabbage rolls / cabbage rolls in tomato sauce (Töltött káposzta)

Recipe tip tomato sauce: "coarse" tomato sauce

Alternative: 1) Roast the onion and bacon and fold in the meat and rice mixture. 2) Wrap or fill the roulades with bacon.