Mini Cabbage Rolls with Urda Cheese

Name: Mini Cabbage Rolls with Urda Cheese
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 20 pieces
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 20 young beet leaves (or other leaves: nettle, vine, horseradish); 100ml bors (i used store-bought, from olympia); 1 ripe tomato (or 100ml tomato paste); 1 sprig fresh thyme; 2 tablespoons oil; salt; filling; 300g urda cheese; 1 bunch green onions; 1/2 carrot; 2 sprigs dill; 5 sprigs parsley; 40g rice; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons oil; salt, black pepper

August 12, 2014

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Budget Recipes Cheese Romanian

Recipe: Mini Cabbage Rolls with Urda Cheese

10 in one go.

On Saturday I bought a piece of urda cheese from Zalau, I brought a handful of young beet leaves from my grandmother's and started rolling cabbage rolls. I didn't really know what the result should be because I was making the recipe based only on a general description I heard a few years ago from a friend from Moldova who praised these cabbage rolls a lot. Actually, to tell you the truth, I had doubts about the result. When I make a recipe I have the final result in mind, but this time my mind was blank. At one point I was thinking it would be okay if it just turned out edible so I wouldn't waste that good urda. That's why I didn't rush to make many. I figured 20 little rolls would be enough for one meal. Think again! We devoured them instantly, 10 each, and a few more would have been welcome. Maybe it was my fault too, when I tasted them I decided not to weigh down the sauce with flour, I left it simple after cooking. As a result, my little rolls were very light, easy to eat and I suspect they're addictive. The more I ate, instead of feeling fuller, I wanted to eat another one, so they wouldn't end.

Ingredients

20 young beet leaves (or other leaves: nettle, vine, horseradish)
100ml bors (I used store-bought, from Olympia)
1 ripe tomato (or 100ml tomato paste)
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tablespoons oil
salt

Filling

300g urda cheese
1 bunch green onions
1/2 carrot
2 sprigs dill
5 sprigs parsley
40g rice
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
salt, black pepper

How to prepare mini cabbage rolls with urda cheese

Put a pot of water with a little salt to boil. When the water boils, take each leaf, dip it in water for 5 seconds, holding it by the stem, then remove it and plunge it directly into a bowl of cold water. I blanched each leaf one by one, because I only had 20 leaves, but you can blanch them in bunches if you have more.
In the water in which you blanched the leaves, put the rice and let it boil for only 5 minutes, until it swells a bit.
In two tablespoons of oil, sauté the green onion cut into rounds and the grated carrot until they soften completely.
Crumble the urda in a bowl. Add the chopped dill and parsley. Add the sautéed vegetables, drained rice and salt and pepper to taste. Taste the mixture to make sure it's seasoned enough. Only then add the egg and mix well.
Drain each leaf. If it has a tougher stem, you can trim it. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling on each leaf, roll it up and then push the ends of the leaf inward with your finger so the filling is hidden.
Line the bottom of the pot with beet leaves. If you don't have any leaves left, put an upturned saucer. Arrange the rolls in the pot, as tightly packed as possible, in layers (mine fit in a single layer since there were so few). Place the thyme on top. Sprinkle with a little salt. Add the oil. Place an upturned saucer on top to hold them down.
Pour in the bors, the grated tomato (or tomato paste) and add water just enough to cover the rolls (I added about 250ml water).
Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Simmer with the lid half on for 30 minutes.
Serve plain or with sour cream.