Turkish Cabbage Rolls (Lahana Sarma)

If you love stuffed grape leaves dolma, you have to try these meatless cabbage rolls or lahana sarmasi as we say in Turkish too. Both recipes are full of flavors and perfect for special dinner parties. You might also want to see our list of the best Turkish dishes. 

Why should you make this recipe?

• Lahana sarmasi can be made ahead and reheated right before serving.
• They can be served at room temperature as an appetizer.
• You can store them cooked in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• You can keep them cooked or uncooked in the freezer for 2-3 months.
• The flavor-packed tomato sauce takes the cabbage rolls to the next level.

About The Ingredients:

Cabbage: The type of cabbage really matters for a cabbage roll recipe. So what type of cabbage should you get? Green cabbage is the best option but savoy cabbage works fine too. Make sure the leaves are not packed too tightly. White cabbage and red cabbage are too firm and tight, so they are not good for rolls. You can make pickled cabbage or coleslaw with them.

Filling: This is a vegetarian cabbage roll recipe, so we stuff them with rice,  fresh herbs (parsley and dill), onions, tomatoes and spices. Bulgar wheat can be substituted for rice or use a combination of these two if you want. 

Spices: Among all the spices in these cabbage rolls filling and sauce, dried mint has a key role. It is used very often in Turkish cuisine for its amazing taste. Try to find spearmint, not peppermint from spice shops. Another spice that gives them a Turkish flavor is sumac. It gives a nice tangy richness to the dish. We even sprinkle some sumac on it when serving.

Sauce: We make the sauce with olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, dried mint and paprika. If you can find Turkish pepper paste, you can add it too.

How To Blanch Cabbage

The first thing you need to do is to cut the top root out of the cabbage. Then remove the outer leaves as they are mostly tough and with dirt.

There are two methods for blanching a cabbage.

Blanching cabbage leaves: Cut the top stem out of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Bring a pot full of water to a boil. Put the cabbage leaves in it in batches and blanch them for 1-2 minutes. Don’t over-cook them. Transfer them on a strainer to cool. This is the method we prefer as we find it easier to know when the leaves are done.

Blanching the whole cabbage head: Cut the top stem off and put the whole head in boiling water. Cook it for 10-12 minutes. Transfer it to a strainer to cool. Separate the leaves when it is cold enough.

How To Make

After making the filling, it is time to make the cabbage rolls.

1. Prepare the blanched cabbage leaves: Cut off the thick vein in the middle of each cabbage leaf. Then cut cabbage leaves into two if they are too large. Put them aside.
2. Don’t throw the seams or deformed parts of cabbage leaves away. You can put some of them in the pan as a bottom layer. This will keep the rolls at the bottom from getting over-cooked. And keep the rest in the fridge to use them in soups or stews.
3. Assemble the cabbage rolls:  Place a blanched cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling on one side of it.
4. Roll it up. (Please see the pictures above). Place the stuffed cabbage rolls in the pan.

5. Make the sauce: In a saucepan, combine olive oil, tomato paste, mashed garlic, dried mint and paprika. Add in the hot water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat. 

6. Cook the rolls: Sprinkle a little salt over the cabbage rolls in the pan. Pour the sauce over them. Place a plate upside down on the rolls and then put the lid on. This will help the cabbage rolls to keep stable and cook equally well. Bring it to boil over medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until the rice is tender, for about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Expert Tips

• Don’t buy red cabbage or white cabbage. They are too tight and it is hard to separate their leaves. 
• Buy a large head of cabbage that is not very heavy and has loose leaves.
• Don’t over-cook the cabbage leaves when blanching them. Remove when they get soft and flexible enough, after 1-2 minutes.
• Cut the thick part on the root end of each cabbage leaf so that it is easier to roll. 
• If the leaves are too large, cut them into two or even three.
• The rolls don’t have to look perfect but try to roll them tight.
• If you have any leftover filling after finishing the cabbage leaves, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days and in the freezer for 3 months. You can cook it in a pan on its own to serve as a side or use it in your next stuffed cabbage sarma. 

Variations

• Make it with meat: In Turkey, it is very popular to make lahana sarmasi with a meaty filling. You can use the filling we use in our sogan dolma, Turkish stuffed onions, which are made with a combination of ground beef and rice. Alternatively, you can add use a ground turkey or lamb filling. 
• Make it with other grains: You can substitute rice with wheat berries, quinoa or buckwheat although it won’t be a traditional Turkish way of cabbage rolls. Bulgar wheat, on the other hand, is quite common as a sub for rice in stuffed veggies in Turkey.
• Change the filling: Another variation of cabbage rolls in Turkey is with a mixture of rice, herbs, cinnamon, pine nuts and currant raisins. You can use the ingredients in our Middle Eastern rice recipe except water to make this version. Just combine them all in a mixing bowl without cooking anything and stuff the cabbage leaves with this mixture.
• Bake in the oven instead of cooking on the stove: You can put the rolls in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour or a bit longer. Alternatively, you can put them in an oven-proof pan, cook over the stove for about 30 minutes and then bake in the oven for another 30 minutes or so.

Serving Suggestions

In Turkey, cabbage rolls (lahana sarmasi) or any stuffed vegetables (dolma) are traditionally served with yogurt or thick strained yogurt. We also enjoy it with a bowl of cacik on the side. 

If you make the cabbage rolls with ground beef filling, a bowl of Turkish shepherd salad would be a nice refreshing side to serve with them.

How To Store

To store the leftover cabbage rolls: Put the leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat with a splash of water over the stove.

To freeze: You can store these cabbage rolls either cooked or uncooked in the freezer for 3 months. If they are cooked, just put them in an airtight container and freeze. If they are uncooked, it is better to pack them in batches in freezer bags. When you are ready to cook, thaw them a little and then cook.

FAQs

Other Turkish Stuffed Vegetables

• Stuffed Green Peppers
• Stuffed Dried Eggplants
• Stuffed Zucchini

Other Cabbage Recipes

• Cabbage Roll Casserole
• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
• Cabbage Soup