How to Cook Sarma

Sarma is a classic Balkan dish that makes for a hearty and comforting meal. It’s made with minced meat, herbs, and vegetables wrapped in cabbage or vine leaves. The traditional recipe takes some practice to master, but it’s definitely worth it! With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to serve up delicious sarma in no time.
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Ingredients

• 10 cabbage or vine leaves (pick the larger ones)
• 500g minced beef or pork
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped

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  ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  2 cloves garlic

  1 tablespoon tomato puree

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  400ml beef stock/broth/vegetable stock (or use 250ml for drier sarma)

  Salt and pepper to taste

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2 cups sour cream 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

For Rolling The Leaves:
✓ Boil some water ✓ Place the cabbage/vine leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes till softened ✓ Rinse under cold running water ✓ Pat them dry using kitchen towel.
✓ Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet or large saucepan on medium heat. ✓ Add onions and sauté until softened (about 5 minutes). ✓ Add the minced meat into the pan with onion followed by red peppers, courgette/zucchini garlic ,spices , salt & pepper . ✓ Cook on medium heat stirring often until there will be no more pink in your mix . – this should take around 10 minutes. ● Take from heat & leave aside. – Let cool • In a separate bowl mix together cooked meat mixture with parsley.
• Prepare 10 heaps with equal amounts of filling Next step is rolling your sarmas……………………………. . ○ To start roll cabbage leaf from outside as if you are making envelope.
○ Put one cooked heap at a center of leaf then take right hand corner & tuck it over stuffing followed by leftside corner & then right side one .
○ Now from bottom , start rolling towards top forming cigarette looking roll.

■ Place sarmas next to each other & continue until all your preparing is done. ➢ Heat remaining tablespooon of oil in same pan add one layer of stuffed cabbages /vineleaves into pan.
➢ Pour broth over them , cover pot tightly by lid turn heat down low allow them slow cooking about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes:- Check if their done.- insert serrrated knife between two rolls if they look soft without hard core then they are ready .– Otherwise leave covered for few more minutes checking every now often . ● Once done serve hot alongside some buttery mashed potatoes & good dollop of sour cream.
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