Tender cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned ground meat and rice, simmered in a tomato-based sauce until soft.
Golabki is a real, traditional Polish dish, known as Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Tender cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned ground meat and rice, simmered in a tomato-based sauce until soft.\n\nGolabki, meaning 'little pigeons' due to their shape, are a dish shared across much of Central and Eastern Europe, with the Polish version typically favoring a tomato-based sauce and a pork-and-rice filling passed down through generations of home cooks.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Polish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 6
Core the cabbage and blanch the whole head in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the leaves; carefully peel off 12 large leaves, trimming the thick center rib.
Combine ground meat, cooked rice, half the diced onion, egg, salt, pepper and paprika.
Place a spoonful of filling on each leaf, fold in the sides, and roll tightly into a bundle.
Sauté the remaining onion in butter, stir in flour, then add tomato passata and stock, simmering for 5 minutes.
Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down in the sauce, cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the cabbage is tender.
Serve the rolls hot, spooning the tomato sauce generously over the top.
Blanch the whole cabbage head briefly rather than trying to peel raw leaves off — this makes them pliable enough to roll without tearing.
Trim the thick center rib from each leaf so it folds and rolls evenly.
Simmer gently rather than at a hard boil; a rolling boil can cause the rolls to fall apart.
A vegetarian version uses mushrooms, rice and lentils instead of meat.
Some households add a splash of cream to the tomato sauce for extra richness.
Use savoy cabbage for a more tender, less fibrous leaf if available.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Golabki, meaning 'little pigeons' due to their shape, are a dish shared across much of Central and Eastern Europe, with the Polish version typically favoring a tomato-based sauce and a pork-and-rice filling passed down through generations of home cooks.
The leaves likely weren't blanched enough to soften, or they were rolled too loosely — blanch a bit longer and roll tightly, tucking in the sides first.
Yes, they reheat very well and some cooks prefer them a day after cooking once the flavors have settled.
Yes, freeze the cooked rolls in their sauce for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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