Finnish Cabbage Roll, Kaalikääryleet

The Finnish cabbage roll is a dish containing cooked cabbage leaves wrapped with a variety of fillings such as minced meat, rice or barley; mushrooms and vegetables could be included as well. The dish is baked in the oven usually accompanied with a sweet sauce and served with lingonberry jam.

Ingredients

1 large Cabbage

Water/broth

Salt

Filling

1 cup cooked rice or barley

300 g minced meat or lentils for veggie-version

1 onion

1 tsp dried marjoram (optional)

Salt and pepper

1-2 tbsp syrup (optional)

Some cream (optional)

Directions:

Cut and remove the core of the cabbage.

Cook the cabbage in salted water until soft. Drain and remove the leaves, set aside.

Chop the onion finely, cook a few minutes, add minced meat or cooked lentils, cook all together. Add the rice and the seasonings, combine.

Spread the cabbage leaves as flat, add the filling to each leaf, roll up.

Transfer the wraps into an oven dish side by side, top with syrup and your favorite cream if you wish. If you don’t like the dish to be sweet, simply use broth to pour over.

Cook in the oven at 200 °C for about one hour or until golden brown.

Serve with lingonberry jam or fresh pureed berries. Some people prefer to enjoy it with mashed potato as well.