Cabbage rolls with mushrooms and rice

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   The ingredients for the cabbage rolls. Clean and wash the mushrooms, onions, carrots, and cabbage.

2. Step 2:

   

   Sort through the rice, picking out any spoiled or damaged grains and any small debris. Then put it in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse it under cold running water to remove dust and any other bits, and tip it into a deep pot. Cover the rice with water—2 quarts of water for 2 cups of grain. Set the pot over medium heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, cook the rice for 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally with a tablespoon.

3. Step 3:

   

   While the rice cooks, set a deep pot half full of water on the stove. Meanwhile, rinse the cabbage leaves under cold running water and shake off the excess. When the water in the pot boils, turn the heat down to medium. Lower the first batch of cabbage leaves into the boiling water and hold them there for 1–2 minutes, until soft.

4. Step 4:

   

   Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the leaves out of the pot and transfer them to a colander so the water drains off. Blanch all the cabbage leaves this way, removing each batch and letting it cool.

5. Step 5:

   

   After 10 minutes, take the pot of rice off the stove and drain it in a colander. Rinse the half-cooked rice under cold running water, leave it in the colander for 2–3 minutes to let the rest of the water drain, then tip it into a deep bowl. You can skip rinsing the rice under running water and just let the excess water drain by leaving it in a colander. If you do that, the filling for the cabbage rolls will hold its shape better later and won't crumble!

6. Step 6:

   

   Cut the onion into cubes about 1/2 inch (1 cm), and the mushrooms into small cubes no larger than 2 inches (5 cm), keeping them in separate bowls. Grate the carrots on the coarse or medium side of a grater.

7. Step 7:

   

   Fry the prepared mushrooms in hot oil and cook them, stirring with a spatula, until all the moisture has cooked off. Once the liquid has evaporated, fry the mushrooms for just about 1 more minute. Then transfer them to a deep bowl to cool.

8. Step 8:

   

   Leave the skillet on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion. Sauté until translucent and lightly golden, 1–2 minutes. Then add the carrots and fry them together until soft. Don't forget to stir the vegetables now and then as they fry. Once they're soft, add them to the bowl with the fried mushrooms. Set the skillet aside for now.

9. Step 9:

   

   Add the partly cooked rice to the bowl of sautéed vegetables, crack in an egg to bind everything, and add salt, ground black pepper, and dried spices to taste for a richer flavor.

10. Step 10:

    

    Stir all the filling ingredients together with a tablespoon until evenly combined, taste, and if needed, add more spices and stir again.

11. Step 11:

    

    On each blanched cabbage leaf, trim down the thick rib near where the stalk was. If any thickened spots remain that you can't trim away, gently flatten them with a meat mallet. Then take one leaf at a time, lay it on a cutting board, and put 2 generous tablespoons of filling in the center.

12. Step 12:

    

    Next, fold one side of the leaf over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll it up.

13. Step 13:

    

    Make the rest of the cabbage rolls the same way. If the leaves are too big and you'd like smaller rolls, cut each large leaf in half along the central rib. Put filling on each half separately—less than 2 tablespoons per roll now. Form a small roll from each half-leaf.

14. Step 14:

    

    You'll be left with 3–4 cabbage leaves (too small or torn). Lay the leaf trimmings and these leftover leaves—whole or cut into medium pieces—on the bottom of a deep pot. Pack all the cabbage rolls on top of them snugly, in several layers. You can lay a few cabbage leaves over the top of the rolls as well.

15. Step 15:

    

    Now set the skillet you cooked the vegetables in over medium heat, pour in 1.5 quarts (1.5 L) of water, and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, add 200 g of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt, ground black pepper, and bay leaves to taste. Stir with a spoon, simmer the sauce for 1 minute, and pour it over the cabbage rolls in the pot. If the liquid doesn't quite cover them, add a little more water to the pot and set it over medium heat.

16. Step 16:

    

    When the sauce comes back to a boil, lower the heat under the pot, cover it leaving a small gap, and simmer the cabbage rolls for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the rice is fully cooked. Then turn off the stove and let the finished dish rest for 10 minutes. Cabbage rolls with mushrooms are served hot. You can top them with sour cream or heavy cream and sprinkle them with chopped herbs or green onion. Enjoy your meal!