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Gagauzia · Main dish
Gagauz Sarma (Cabbage Rolls)
Local name: Gagauz sarması
Meat-and-rice filling rolled in sour cabbage leaves and simmered slowly in a light tomato broth, a hearty Gagauz home dish.
- Servings4
- Prep40 min
- Cooking1 h 10 min
- Total time1 h 50 min
- DifficultyMedium
Contains dairy
About this dish
Sarma in Gagauz cooking is a meat-and-rice filling wrapped in soured (pickled) cabbage leaves or sometimes grape leaves. In Gagauzia it is cooked for everyday meals, in winter, and for holidays and family gatherings.
The Gagauz filling is usually minced meat, rice, onion and plenty of dill, with sunflower oil as the cooking fat. The rolls are simmered gently in water with tomato paste and are most often served with a spoonful of sour cream.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Leaves
Filling
Cooking liquid
To serve
Method
Rinse the rice, soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Trim the thick veins from the cabbage leaves and halve any very large leaves. Set 4 leaves aside for lining the pot. If the leaves are very sour, soak them briefly in cold water and squeeze dry.
Fry the onion in sunflower oil over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Knead together the minced meat, drained rice, fried onion, dill, salt, black pepper and paprika to make the filling.
Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each of the remaining 16 leaves, fold in the sides and roll into a finger-thick roll, not too tight.
Line the bottom of a wide pot with the 4 reserved leaves and the bay leaves, then pack the rolls tightly, seam side down.
Dissolve the tomato paste in the hot water and pour it over the rolls; set an upside-down plate on top to keep them from unrolling.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for about 60 minutes, until the rice and meat are completely tender.
Turn off the heat and let the sarma rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream.
💡 Tips
- Leave the rice slightly undercooked in the filling; it will swell inside the roll.
- Season lightly at first because pickled leaves are salty, and taste the broth before cooking.
- Do not roll too tightly, or the rice will burst the rolls as it expands.
- The liquid should almost cover the rolls; add hot water if needed during cooking.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Sour cabbage leaves — If unavailable, blanch fresh cabbage leaves for 5 minutes and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the cooking liquid.
- Sour cream — Thick strained yogurt works the same way.
- Sunflower oil — Any neutral vegetable oil.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
