Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and stir in the ground (minced) meat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Step 2

Add the onions and coarsely chopped cabbage to the pan and sauté for another 4 -5 minutes (their volume will shrink as they cook).

Step 3

Stir in the bulgur, tomato paste, red pepper paste and water. Combine well.

Step 4

Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and dried mint and season with salt and ground black pepper.

Step 5

Bring to the boil then cover and cook over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes or until all cooked.

Step 6

Serve hot, with sprinkles of dried mint and red pepper flakes over top and a dollop of plain yoghurt by the side.

Step 7

Afiyet Olsun.

Step 8

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

Step 9

Trim the bottom root and place the cabbage as whole in the pan with boiling water and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Step 10

Remove the cabbage and leave it to cool. Then take a sharp knife and cut the outer leaves from the main stalk. The rest of the leaves will start to peel off without breaking one by one. Peel off about 20 large to medium leaves for rolling and set them aside (Please save the hard stalk or the hard middle part of the cabbage leaves, that is too small or hard to roll; they are delicious in Lahana Kapuska; cabbage cooked with rice, onions, ground meat and spices, which I will also share in the coming weeks).

Step 11

For the filling; combine the bulgur, chopped onion, parsley, olive oil, dried mint, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Knead well with your hands for a few minutes. Stir in the ground meat and knead for another minute to combine well.

Step 12

With a sharp knife, carefully trim and make a V shape cut to remove the thickest part of the stalk from the base of each cabbage leaf. Place 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon of the filling (depending on the size of the leaf) in the middle of the leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll the leaf up tightly. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

Step 13

Place the rolled leaves tightly in a heavy pan with seam side down, do the second layer too and pack tightly.

Step 14

For the sauce, mix together the water, olive oil, lemon juice (or 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses), tomato paste and chopped garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Pour this sauce over the rolled cabbage leaves (the water should just about to cover the top of the rolled cabbage leaves). Place a plate on top of the leaves to stop them unraveling during cooking.

Step 15

Cover the pan and cook on low heat over stove top or burner for 40 – 45 minutes, simmering gently.

Step 16

Once cabbage rolls are cooked, serve hot, decorated with dried mint and red pepper flakes. Plain yoghurt complements this delicious cabbage rolls with bulgur filling, bulgurlu lahana sarmasi, beautifully. Afiyet Olsun.