Braised Cabbage Rolls

''This dish has evolved from European Cuisine and has many varieties. I wanted to try a vegetarian version and it turned out surprisingly good!!''

Serve 3

Ingredients:

6 large cabbage leaves

For filling:

1/2 cup raw rice

1/6 lentils

1 carrot grated

1 large onion

1 capsicum

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

200ml cup vegetable stock

1tsp soya sauce

1tbsp olive oil

For braising:

1- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1tsp brown sugar

1tsp vinegor

little salt if necessary

Sauce:

1 tomato

2 capsicums

1tsp garlic paste

1tsp soya sauce

2tsp tomato ketup

1tsp vinegor

2 tsp olive oil

Method:

For the filling:

Heat oil in pan add sliced onion and capsicum and saute till translucent. Add the grated carrots and stir for a minute. Add the vegetable stock, lentils and rice. Mix well and add cumin seeds, soya sauce. Add little salt if necessary.

Reduce heat and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. (the rice is half cooked)

Prepare Cabbage leaves:

Steam the cabbage leaves until little soft and shock in cold water to retain the texture. And keep aside.

Once the filling has prepared, take one cabbage leave and take off excess moisture by patting dry with kitchen towel. Cut the stems off.

Lay the leaf flat on a board with the stem side to your side and put 2tbsp of filling in middle and roll the leaf tucking the edges in sides as you roll. (start rolling from the stem sides) Roll all cabbage leaves like this.

Place the cabbage rolls on a flat based small pan just enough for the cabbage rolls to be laid in a single layer and packed.

(Otherwise while cooking it might become loose)

Dissolve sugar and vinegar in the remaining stock water and pour over the cabbages until they are just covered. Use little water if necessary.

Cook with open lid on low flame until most of the liquid is absorbed.( about 1/4 remains)

Make sauce:

While the cabbage rolls are cooking. Prepare the sauce.

Cut the tomato roughly and de-seed the capsicum and cut roughly. Put in a grinder and puree them together until smooth.Add vinegar, tomato ketup, soya sauce and stir well until combined.

Heat oil in pan and add garlic paste and stir of a minute. add the sauce mixture with tomato and capsicums and bring it to boil. Take off heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and little sugar if necessary.

Once the cabbages are done. Put the prepared sauce on top and serve warm.