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I'm first generation Hungarian born in the US. Both of my parents came over in the late 50's. My mother made stuffed cabbage a few times, it was more so stuffed peppers where we used sour cream.
I make a Hungarian chicken dish with paprika sauce that also calls for sour cream but that's not how I grew up, never used sour cream with the chicken. I'll have to try it one day.
My aunt cooked more Hungarian dishes then my mother.
I haven't made stuffed cabbage yet but it's on my winter dinner list. I'll use the same filling I do for stuffed peppers which is pretty much the first recipe posted.
My grand mother was Polish and she called is Galumpki. I made it once leaves were not soft. I will try again
My aunt married a Polish man from Chicago. When I visited they made them for me. Don't know how they spelled it but they pronounced it "Wump - kee."
All those old countries had many different dialects in a very small area of land.
I used to bring a large pot of water to boil and put the cabbage leaves in for a little while to soften. Sometimes of the rib of the cabbage was too thick I'd cut the fattest part out. It turns into a major undertaking for such a humble dish.
I agree that those old peasant food dishes, making something from the everyday mundane, are the most satisfying comfort food you can have. Good principle of mental health to stay connected to your genetic roots. I suspect our bodies "know."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar
My aunt married a Polish man from Chicago. When I visited they made them for me. Don't know how they spelled it but they pronounced it "Wump - kee."
All those old countries had many different dialects in a very small area of land.
I used to bring a large pot of water to boil and put the cabbage leaves in for a little while to soften. Sometimes of the rib of the cabbage was too thick I'd cut the fattest part out. It turns into a major undertaking for such a humble dish.
I agree that those old peasant food dishes, making something from the everyday mundane, are the most satisfying comfort food you can have. Good principle of mental health to stay connected to your genetic roots. I suspect our bodies "know."
Someone asked about what I stuffed them with, so here’s the recipe. I usually tend to under season foods. This one scared me, but it is very flavorful, and we liked it.
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T garlic salt
1 T onion powder
4 cloves of garlic AND a tablespoon (big T=tablespoon, small t=teaspoon) each of garlic salt and onion powder?
I wouldn't call that under-seasonsed.
I've attempted to make stuffed cabbage rolls. Tried it a couple of times with a friend. We've never managed to get the leaves pliable enough, even after trimming the stems. They just don't fold very well. I think we were missing the instruction the OP gave about discarding the outer leaves, because they're too tough. Still, it seems like there's a trick to it that we're missing.
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Ruth - I lay each leaf down. I cut out the thickness section of the stem beginning at the bottom of the leaf. It looks like a ^ The widest part is the bottom of the stem. The point is in the center of the leaf.
I find that Savoy cabbage has thinner leaves and is much easier to work with.
Thanks to gentlearts for bringing up such a good discussion.
Definitely with sour cream! The local Russian restaurant where I live even puts packets of sour cream in the bag when people order cabbage rolls for takeout. Most Russian food is accompanied by sour cream, including borsht.
I've attempted to make stuffed cabbage rolls. Tried it a couple of times with a friend. We've never managed to get the leaves pliable enough, even after trimming the stems. They just don't fold very well. I think we were missing the instruction the OP gave about discarding the outer leaves, because they're too tough. Still, it seems like there's a trick to it that we're missing.
I found a recipe online for carrot sauce instead of tomato-based sauce, which is much more common. The local restaurant uses carrot sauce, and it's delicious! It lends a natural sweetness to the sauce, so there's no need to add sugar. I'm now hooked on it. All I have to do now, is master the art of preparing and folding the leaves.
About the leaves not rolling well…… Either you didn’t simmer them long enough, or you didn’t shave the stems enough. If you do both of these things, the stem end should be just as pliable as the rest of the leaf. I know most people cut out the stem entirely (even Ina Garten does) but then, I think, it is harder to fully enclose the filling, especially as the leaves get smaller.
About the leaves not rolling well…… Either you didn’t simmer them long enough, or you didn’t shave the stems enough. If you do both of these things, the stem end should be just as pliable as the rest of the leaf. I know most people cut out the stem entirely (even Ina Garten does) but then, I think, it is harder to fully enclose the filling, especially as the leaves get smaller.
Yes, we tried cutting out the stems, but then you're left with an oddly-shaped leaf to work with. I don't know how people are able to work with that. I'll try your method, of simmering them longer, and shaving the stems. Thanks for posting!
My favorite meal and not to go off thread was when my polish grandmother made roasted chicken and served sour cream on the side. Yum!
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