Cabbage rolls in a sweet-and-sour sauce

Ingredients

• cabbage – 1 head
• mince – 500 g
• egg – 1 pc
• rice – 1 glass (250 ml)
• carrot – 3 pcs
• onion – 2 large
• tomato (juice, passata or blended tomatoes) – 500 ml
• salt – to taste
• pepper – to taste
• sugar – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Step 1

   We start cooking by preparing the cabbage. It needs to be separated into leaves and boiled. The main thing here is not to overcook it - put it in boiling water for a couple of minutes so that the leaves become pliable. You need to choose cabbage so that the leaves come off easily and are more or less even. I cut the leaves near the stalk and put the whole head of cabbage in boiling water and use a fork to separate the already cut leaves - they are more pliable in hot water. Then I close the lid and leave individual leaves in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, take them out and cover with the lid. I cut each large leaf lengthwise, removing the hard middle.

   
2. Step 2

   Let's prepare the filling. Boil the rice and cool. Cut 1 onion into cubes and fry with grated carrots. Cool and add to minced meat and rice. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 egg. Mix the minced meat well.

   
3. Step 3

   Now the sauce. Cut the remaining onion into cubes, fry in vegetable oil, add grated carrots, fry. Pour in the tomato. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 0.5 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. It is sugar that reveals the taste of vegetables and gives the cabbage rolls a wonderful colour. With this sauce the cabbage rolls turn out really tasty!

   
4. Step 4

   Let's start rolling the cabbage rolls: using a spoon, spread the filling on the edge of the leaf and roll it up.

   
5. Step 5

   Line the bottom of the pan with several cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage rolls on top, in layers.

   
6. Step 6

   When half of the cabbage rolls are already in the pan, pour half of the sauce over the top. Add the rest of the cabbage rolls. Cover the top with leaves and pour over the rest of the sauce.

   
7. Step 7

   Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes until the cabbage leaves are soft.