No matter who you are, chances are you should be more eating more vegetables. Thankfully, chef Einat Admony, owner and head chef of modern Isreali restaurant Balaboosta in New York City is sharing a delicious and easy to recreate recipe that will have even the biggest carnivores in your house asking for more cabbage!
Yes, it’s true, because when cabbage is cooked and stuffed with beef, nuts and raisins, the combination of flavors and textures is so rich and enticing, the pickiest of eaters can not resist.
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"Every culture has some sort of stuffed cabbage,” chef Admony says. “When I wrote my cookbook, Shuk, I wanted to do something that is fun, unique and delicious.”
Enter chef Admony’s below recipe, which combines the usual individual rolls into one larger “cake.”
This recipe calls for an oven-safe pot that is somewhere between eight and nine inches in diameter and relatively shallow, so be sure to prep accordingly.
With enough to make eight to 10 servings, this is a great recipe for family gatherings or for keeping leftovers.
Cabbage Cake Stuffed with Beef, Nuts and Raisins
stuffed cabbage cake recipe
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium green cabbage
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup (185g) jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 pound (455g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, fried or toasted (see page 000)
- ¼ cup (25g) sliced blanched almonds, fried or toasted (see page 000)
- ¼ cup (30g) coarsely chopped shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup (35g) coarsely chopped raisins
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or hot paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups (720ml) homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock or water Tahini Sauce or Yogurt tahini sauce for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC).
- Fill a large pot with about 3 quarts (3L) water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring the water to a boil.
- With a sharp knife, carefully carve out the core of the cabbage (this will allow the leaves to loosen and cook more evenly). Using tongs or a slotted spoon, gently plunge the cabbage into the rapidly boiling water, cored-side down, and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Using tongs or two large spoons, remove the cabbage from the pot and place it on the counter, cored-side down. (Keep the water in the pot at a simmer.) Using tongs or two forks, peel away as many of the outer leaves as have softened and become pliable enough to remove. Pile the leaves flat in a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Bring the water back to a boil, return the cabbage head to the pot, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the water and separate more softened leaves. Repeat this process until you have 14 nice leaves. Check the leaves: If there’s still some core attached or their bottoms are a little tough, trim the leaves or shave any thick ribs as needed so the leaves bend easily. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add the beef, mix well, and sauté, crumbling the meat with a fork, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins, Aleppo pepper, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon salt, and several twists of black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly with your hands or a spoon; set aside.
- To assemble the cake: Slick the bottom and sides of an ovenproof 8- to 9-inch (20 to 23cm) pot (such as a small Dutch oven) with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Line the bottom with one nice cabbage leaf, then arrange 8 more leaves in an overlapping fashion over the bottom and up the sides of the pot. If you are using a shallow (4-inch-high/10cm) pot, the leaves may hang over the rim; that’s fine. Pile the beef mixture in the center of the cabbage leaves and smooth it lightly into an even layer. Fold the ends of the cabbage leaves over the beef mixture, then layer the remaining 6 leaves on top to make a tidy cake. Slowly pour in the stock or water, taking care not to disturb the leaves.
- Find a smaller pot lid or a plate that will fit inside the pot (anything flat and heatproof will do) and place it on top of the cabbage cake. (This will weigh down the cake as it cooks and keep it flat.) Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil, transfer it to the oven, and bake for 1 hour, until the rice is tender. To check for doneness, open the leaves a little and check the rice: when the rice is tender, everything is cooked.
- Take the pot out of the oven, remove the lid and the plate, and heat the cabbage cake on the stovetop over medium heat for about 10 minutes; this will get a little color on the bottom of the cake (which will eventually be the top) and evaporate any excess liquid around the sides. Remove from the heat and leave the cake in the pot to settle the layers for about 10 minutes.
- Now get ready for the flip: Place a large flat serving plate (or a cake stand) on top of the pot and, holding the pot and the plate tightly together, flip them with one smooth, decisive swing. Lift the pot away carefully. Cut the cabbage cake into wedges and serve with tahini or yogurt tahini sauce.
Visit Balaboosta in NYC and online for more delicious dishes and inspiration.
