Stuffed Cabbage (Lahana Dolmasi)
Stuffed Cabbage (Lahana Dolmasi) is a delicious meal that will not break the bank. If you read my post on Sunday, Budget Friendly Meals the Whole Family Will Love, you know that I am doing a series of several recipes for around 30 bucks. Of course I am using things from my stocked pantry and fridge like spices, flours, milk, eggs, cheese, etc. Things that I normally have on hand in my kitchen. One of the delicious meals that we had last night was this Stuffed Cabbage (Lahana Dolmasi). This is one of my family’s favorite meals. You could serve the dolmas (stuffed cabbage) alone but we always like some creamy mashed potatoes on the side. I also made a delicious loaf of bread to dunk in the yummy broth. I decided the other day that I wanted to come up with some recipes that are both delicious and easy on the budget so I remade my traditional Stuffed Cabbage. Besides being delicious, it was also healthy because I only used 1/2 pound of ground beef . I would normally use 1 pound but I substituted 1 Cup grated carrots and used 1 cup of bulgur where I would normally use only about 1/4 of a cup. I can honestly say the flavor was as good as or better than my traditional stuffed cabbage.
I think I have done pretty well cooking 3 meals with enough food for 6 people for around $30.00. That comes out to $1.66 per person per serving. We also had leftovers and the food has been delicious. On Sunday, we had Smoked Sausage and Kale Soup and tonight we are having April’s Alabama Beans and Rice. We ordered two pizzas the other day from a “well known” pizza restaurant and it was almost $35.00. It is good to have a break from cooking sometimes, but I would much rather serve my family these three meals that were both delicious and healthy than to pay the same amount for one meal. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
- 1 Head Cabbage
- ½ Pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Cup Bulgur
- 1 Half Can Tomato Paste (about 2-3 Tablespoons)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Remove the core from the cabbage and pull as many leaves off as you can without tearing them. Place the separated leaves and the center that you were unable to separate into a large stockpot.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Boil for about 5-7 minutes until the leaves are soft and pliable.
- Drain and place the cabbage back into the pot with ice water. Once cool, drain the cabbage and set aside.
- Cover the bulgur with hot water and use your hands to stir it around. Set aside while you combine the other ingredients.
- Grate the onion and carrot and place in a mixing bowl.
- Add the ground beef, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
- Drain the bulgur and add to the bowl.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Bring about 6 - 8 cups of water to boil.
- Take a cabbage leaf and place in the palm of your hand.
- Shape a small amount of the meat mixture into an oblong shape and place in the top center of the cabbage leaf.
- Fold the sides into the center and then roll down.
- Place seam side down in the center of your pot.
- Continue in the same manner until all the meat and cabbage has been used.
- If you have any left over cabbage, just place it on top of the dolmas.
- And if you have any of the meat mixture left, just shape into little patties or oblong shapes and place on top of the dolmas.
- Cover the dolmas with a heavy plate facing downward. This is to keep them from bursting open while cooking.
- Cover with the boiling water and cover with the lid.
- Cook on low until dolmas are tender.
- Serve with garlic yogurt if desired. Afiyet olsun!
