SARMA

Stuffed cabbage rolls, or sarma, is a traditional Macedonian food which is prepared mostly in winter. Since it is prepared in larger quantities, sarma is usually eaten for several days. If you can resist the temptation, eat it the next day after preparation, it tastes better!

Sarma from my kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 sour cabbage head (around 2 kg)
• 500 g of minced meat (20 ounces)
• 100 gr. bacon (4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper
• 1 small cup of rice
• 2 onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 50 ml of oil
• salt and spices

Instructions:

1. Clean the onions and slice into cubes, do the same with the bacon. Fry quickly onions and bacon and add some chopped garlic near the end and add this to a bowl with the minced meat. Add some red pepper, salt, spices, rice, chopped parsley into the bowl.
2. Remove the leaves of cabbage and trim off thicker parts. Put a little of the meat mixture into each leaf, and wrap them. Wrap them so that you first fold one side over, then the other side, then roll. 
3. Put some sliced cabbage on the bottom of a pot, then place a layer of cabbage rolls on top, lining them up in a circle.
4. Add enough water to cover the sarma, and cook for around 2 hours. Shake the pot occasionally. Add some roux at the end if you want.

Enjoy!