Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls) #EattheWorld

This month the Eat the World group is sharing recipes from Myanmar, formerly called Burma. Read more about the Eat the World project here

Where in the World is Moldova?

Can you find Moldova on a map or globe? In case you are unfamiliar, landlocked Moldova lies between Romania and Ukraine and consists of hilly grasslands flanked by the Prut and Dniester Rivers. Mostly pastoral lands, Moldova was part of Romania before World War II, and a majority of Moldovans still speak Romanian. Soviets annexed Moldova in 1940, and Russians and Ukrainians settled in the industrial region east of the Dniester (known as Transdniestria). After Moldova gained independence in 1991, Transdniestria seceded, making Tiraspol its capital.

Here's the #EattheWorld Line-Up...

• Moldovan Roasted Eggplant Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese & Leafy Greens) by Sneha's Recipe

• Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls) by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Zeama (Moldovan Chicken Soup) by Amy's Cooking Adventures

Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls)

We love stuffed cabbage leaves. Filled with meat, rice, and vegetables, these are ubiquitous around Eastern Europe. So, when I saw a Moldovan version - and I had some gorgeous purple Napa cabbage - I decided to give it a try.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground lamb (you can also make it with all ground beef).

• 3/4 pound ground beef

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 Tablespoon paprika (I used 1 teaspoon hot paprika and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika)

• 2 cups cooked rice (traditionally, you use raw rice, but I had cooked rice and it cut down on the final cooking time)

• 2 large bay leaves

• 1 onion, peeled and diced

• olive oil, as needed

• 1 large head of cabbage, leaves separated and blanched for 1 to 2 minutes

• 3 cups sauerkraut, divided (my homemade version, just know you need at least 3 days' lead time)

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup water or a mixture of water and red wine

Procedure

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add the onions and cook until softened.

In a medium mixing bowl, place the ground meats, egg, salt, pepper, paprika, rice, and 1 cup sauerkraut and mix until well-combined; I use my hands, but you can use a wooden spoon.

Stir together the tomato sauce and water or water and wine. Add a glug of olive oil and begin to warm the sauce.

After you blanch and drain your cabbage leaves, place a leaf flat on a cutting board or other clean workspace. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the filling onto the leaf, near the top. Fold the sides of the leaf in and roll as rightly as you can until you get to the stem. Place the rolls, stem side down, into the tomato sauce. Make as many as you can to fill the pot. After I ran out of cabbage leaves, I formed the rest of the meat into meatballs and added them to the pot.

Spoon the remaining sauerkraut over the rolls. Pour in enough water so that the rolls are about two-thirds of the way submerged. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.

Let the rolls braise for at least 90 minutes. Check on the liquid levels about half-way through cooking so that the rolls don't burn.

Serve hot.

That's a wrap for my Moldovan offering for this month's #EattheWorld. Next month, I will be hosting at we'll be traveling - by tabletop - to Samoa. I can't wait for some tropical island flavors. Stay tuned...