Lahana Sarması

About This Recipe

Lahana sarması are Turkey's warm, hearty stuffed cabbage rolls — the meat-filled, hot-served answer to the cold zeytinyağlı yaprak sarması. Blanched cabbage leaves are filled with a mixture of ground lamb and rice seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, mint, and onion, then rolled into tight cylinders and packed into a pot with tomato sauce. The rolls braise slowly in their own juices and the tomato until the cabbage is completely tender and the filling fully cooked and fragrant. Lahana sarması is the ultimate Turkish cold-weather comfort food, served hot with thick yogurt stirred with garlic and a drizzle of paprika butter.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 largewhite cabbage
• 350 gground lamb
• 150 gmedium-grain rice(rinsed)
• 1 mediumonion(grated)
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• 1 tspallspice
• ½ tspcinnamon
• 1 tspdried mint
• Salt and pepper(to taste)
• 400 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 200 gGreek yogurt(mixed with 1 garlic clove, to serve)
• 2 tbspbutter + 1 tsp paprika(for butter drizzle)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the cabbage

   Core the cabbage. Blanch whole in boiling salted water 5–8 minutes, carefully peeling off leaves as they soften. You need about 20 large leaves.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix lamb, rice, grated onion, tomato purée, allspice, cinnamon, mint, salt, and pepper. Do not cook — the raw filling cooks inside the rolls.

3. 3

   Fill and roll

   Trim the thick rib from each leaf. Place 1 tbsp filling at the base of each leaf. Roll firmly, tucking in the sides.

   Tight rolling keeps the sarma from unravelling and helps the filling cook evenly inside.

4. 4

   Braise

   Line a heavy pot with torn cabbage leaves. Pack sarma tightly, seam-side down. Pour crushed tomatoes and 200 ml water over. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 55–60 minutes on low heat until filling is cooked through.

5. 5

   Serve with yogurt and butter

   Arrange on a platter. Melt butter with paprika and drizzle over. Serve with garlic yogurt alongside.

Variations

• •

  Use sour cabbage (pickled) for a tangy winter version common in eastern Turkey.

• •

  Mix beef and lamb for a milder filling.

• •

  Add a layer of sliced potatoes at the bottom of the pot — they absorb the juices and become incredibly flavourful.

Storage

Excellent refrigerated for 3 days. The flavour deepens overnight. Reheat gently covered.

Frequently Asked Questions