What can be used to make cabbage rolls besides cabbage and grape leaves: an unusual solution for a traditional dish

Stuffed cabbage is a Ukrainian dish that is prepared differently in each region. This main dish is always juicy and delicious. Usually, minced meat with rice and fried meat is wrapped in cabbage or grape leaves. But there are also very unusual recipes for its preparation.

Chef Hector Jimenez-Bravo shared one of them on Instagram. He showed how to make onion cabbage rolls that will definitely not leave anyone indifferent.

Ingredients

• Onion - 2 pieces
• Carrots - 2 pieces
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Minced meat - 500 g
• Rice - 1 cup
• Pomegranate juice - ¼ glass
• Fresh mint
• Lemon juice - ½ pc
• Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
• Pine nuts - 40 g
• Salt

Ingredients for the sauce

• Water in which the onions were cooked - 2.5 cups
• Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
• Pomegranate juice - ¼ cup
• Silane - 2 liters
• Salt - 2 tbsp

How to cook

1. Peel the onion, cut it from one side to the center, and cook in salted water for about 20 minutes.

2. Remove the onion and save the water for the sauce.

3. Fry the onion in a frying pan with a little oil until golden brown, add the carrots and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, stirring.

4. Add the minced meat and fry until the meat changes color.

5. Add pomegranate juice, tomato puree, and chopped mint, and fry. Make the filling by adding rice to the frying.

6. Drain the remaining water from the onion and separate each layer.

7. Form cabbage rolls, and put them in a wide low pot covered with parchment, close to each other.

8. Mix pomegranate, silane, salt, and tomato puree in a saucepan.

9. Add the water in which we cooked the onions, bring to a boil, and pour the sauce into the pot with the onions.

10. Cover with parchment and foil.

11. Put in the oven preheated to 180° for 2 hours.