Stuffed cabbage in sweet potato sauce
Stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce is a popular dish in Eastern Europe, particularly during the winter festivities. This mince stuffed cabbage in sweet potato sauce is Mexican style version, so it’s a bit more spicy. You can make this dish in two stages – the sauce and stuffing can be prepared in advance, the last part only takes max. 20 minutes which you can do before your guests arrive. Serve it with rice or tortilla.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a drop of oil in a saucepan, then add the mince. Stir until it changes colour, then transfer it to a mixing bowl.
- Thinly slice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
- Peel then cut the carrot and sweet potatoes into tiny cubes, about 1cm pieces. Cut the red pepper too into tiny bits. Set them aside.
- Pour away the liquid from the pan and add a spoonful of olive oil. Sautee the onion for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, oregano and cumin. Sir for a minute, then add the tomato purée and chipotle paste. Keep stirring for a few seconds, then add the chopped veggies and coat them well. Add the tinned tomatoes.
- Cook, under a lid, for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. You should get a thick stew – be careful it doesn’t burn, so stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, separate the leaves of the cabbage and put them in a large pan of boiling water for about a minute, then rinse them with icy water immediately. Keep them in cold, water.
- When the veggies are tender, using a slotted spoon, transfer about a third of the stew to the bowl and mix it with the mince. Add the beans, chopped coriander leaves and corn kernels, season with salt an pepper, and combine well. This will be the stuffing, so it should be very thick.
- Add some stock to the reaming stew and using a stick blender, process it into a silky sauce. Add more stock until you get the right thickness. Transfer the sauce into a casserole dish.
- Drain the cabbage leaves and pat dry them.
- Put them on a chopping board and add some stuffing, then create little parcels by tucking in the sides and rolling them up. Secure each with small metal meat skewers. Cut-side facing downwards put them in the sauce. Put the lid on and cook for ten minutes on the hob, or put the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm ( with perhaps a dollop of sour cream)