layered cabbage

A delicious Romanian dish called varza a la Cluj which literally means Cluj type cabbage. This is a vegan baked cabbage casserole created in layers. Varza a la Cluj has similar ingredients as Romanian sarmale (cabbage rolls) but made as a casserole. It's delicious, filling and full of fibre.

Varza a la Cluj

cabbage

brown rice

buckwheat

(15 oz) tomato sauce

bay leaf

tbsp whole peppercorn

tbsp all purpose flour

tsp corn starch

tbsp, ground flaxseed

Varza a la Cluj (baked cabbage casserole)

Preheat the oven to

Cook the buckwheat according

Cook the buckwheat according to the pack instructions.

Cook the brown rice

Cook the brown rice according to pack instructions. When the rice is ready, mix with a tbsp of flour, a tsp of cornstarch and 3 tbsp of ground flaxseed.

In the meantime, chop

In the meantime, chop the fermented cabbage. Set aside.

In a casserole dish,

In a casserole dish, add one layer of brown rice. Then add a layer of fermented cabbage. Then add a layer of buckwheat and another layer of rice. Top up with another layer of cabbage, then another layer of rice. Finally, add the last layer of cabbage.

Pour the tomato sauce

Pour the tomato sauce over the last layer of cabbage and scatter the peppercorn and bay leaf. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-45 minutes until the cabbage feels tender.

Allow it to cool

Allow it to cool before the Varza a la Cluj casserole into 6 parts. Carefully remove from the casserole as the rice may fall apart.

How to make Varza a la Cluj

Simmered Layered Cabbage and Mince is similar recipe to my Cabbage Rolls, except you don’t roll the mince in cabbage. Instead, you alternate layering the cabbage leaves and ground meat to form a dome shape. Don&#39;t forget to see the section &#39;MEAL IDEAS&#39; below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.

Simmered Layered Cabbage and Mince

cabbage leaves ((note 1))

onion ((medium size, about 150 grams/5.3 ounces, very finely chopped))

butter

400 grams/0.9lb pork mince ((note 2))

panko bread crumbs

milliliters/1.4fl oz milk

salt

Pepper

300 milliliters/10.1fl oz chicken stock ((salt reduced))

milliliters/1.7fl oz water

tomato paste

Shave the thick stems off the cabbage leaves. Finely chop the stems and set aside.

Boil water in a large pot and blanch the cabbage leaves for a minute or so (you only need to remove crispness of the cabbage). Drain and let them cool.

Prepare Cabbage

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, until some onion pieces start browning around the edges. Turn the heat off and let it cool.

Put the panko and milk into a bowl and let the panko absorb the liquid.

Add the remaining filling ingredients, including the sautéed onion, and chopped cabbage stems to the bowl and mix well until the mixture becomes sticky. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.

Make Filling

Place a deep round bowl (about 20cm/8&quot; in diameter, note 3) on the work bench and spread a cabbage leaf on the bottom (note 4).

Spread one portion of the filling over the cabbage, making sure it is evenly distributed up to about 5-6cm from the top edge of the cabbage.

Place another cabbage leaf on top, rotating the direction of the stem by 90 degrees from the cabbage leaf below it (note 5). Then spread another portion of filling over it. Repeat this finishing with a cabbage leaf on top.

Make Layered Cabbage Dome

Turn the bowl upside down and transfer the layered cabbage dome onto your palm, then place it into a pot with the round side up (note 6). If the edges of the cabbage at the bottom stick out, push them underneath with a spatula.

Mix water, salt, and tomato paste in a jar and dissolve the tomato paste. Add this mixture along with the remaining Broth ingredients to the pot with the cabbage dome (note 7).

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to medium. Put a drop lid on and cook for 45 minutes with the lid on (note 8). Move the cabbage dome with a spatula from time to time while cooking (note 8). Turn the heat off.

Cook

Slide the spatula underneath the cabbage dome, tilt the pot and transfer the cabbage dome to a large serving plate, rounded side up.

Pour some broth over the dome, and the rest in a jug to serve on the aside.

Cut the Simmered Layered Cabbage and Mince into quarters (or more depending on serving size). Transfer each portion to an individual plate and pour some broth over it.

Serving

I made this for dinner tonight!  I had a cabbage and some ground pork that I bought at the Japanese market and was trying to find a recipe to match!  So happy this came into my email today.  I substituted the broth with Nagi's meatloaf sauce because my husband loves that sauce!  It was very, very delicious!  Thank you so much for your recipe!

Absolutely love the look of this - somehow special and festive . . . but the ingredients and general method very much also belong to my birth country of Estonia in the Baltics :) !  Was brought up on cabbage and pork mince!  Must show this to some of my Estonian foodie friends - actually I have seen and heard of food comparisons between the two countries before - both natural and simple annd healthy !!!

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Varza a la Cluj

Simmered Layered Cabbage and Mince

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