- In a pan, sauté the finely chopped onions in oil until translucent, then let them cool.
- Add bay leaves and sweet paprika to the onions, then stir in the tomato passata. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the minced pork, rinsed rice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Use fermented cabbage leaves to wrap the mixture into sarmale, sealing the ends.
- Prepare a large pot with a double bottom, lining it with chopped fermented cabbage leaves.
- Add a few slices of kaiser, a bay leaf, some peppercorns, and a layer of tomato passata.
- Arrange the sarmale in the pot, cover them with more cabbage leaves, and pour in enough boiling water to cover them.
- Cook over low to medium heat for about an hour and a half.
Leave a comment below and let me know if you prefer sarmale with fermented cabbage or vine leaves.
Enjoy your meal and have a blessed holiday!
Step by step instructions in the video below