Savoy Cabbage Casserole

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Savoy cabbage casserole is a very special Hungarian dish. It is made of layers with a delicious filling and is full of flavour.

What you’ll need:

Savoy cabbage

Savoy cabbage is commonly used in the Hungarian cuisine. It is a reasonably cheap vegetable when it’s in season (usually costs around $3-4). Savoy cabbage makes up the layers in this casserole – almost like pasta sheets in a lasagna. The first thing you need to do is take the cabbage apart leaf by leaf, making sure not to tear it. Then you put the leaves into a large pot and fill it with boiling water. Boil the cabbage leaves for 15 minutes then strain. Each cabbage will be different in size so it’s hard to estimate the exact amount you’ll need. I find that if I’m using a large cabbage, I will need roughly three leaves to make up a layer (but this could be different for you).

Filling

The base of the filling is rice. Traditionally, this casserole would have mince in it but to make it vegetarian I substitute mince with broccoli. The secret is to use the broccoli stalks and add them to a food processor.

Sauce

Lastly, you’ll want to make a delicious white sauce made of a few simple ingredients. Its creamy, cheesy and slightly tangy flavour complements the other ingredients really well. All you’ll need is tapioca starch (used to thicken up the sauce), water reserved from the cooked cabbage to give it extra flavour, cream, cheese (I used non-dairy cheese), salt and vinegar. Once you place all these ingredients into a bowl, you’ll just have to make sure you keep stirring as you bring it to a boil (10-15 minutes).

The layers

Then it’s all about the layering! This is the fun part. You’ll want to start by putting the cabbage leaves at the bottom of your dish. Next, you’ll want to put a third of the filling (be sure to press it down firmly), followed by a third of the sauce. Then you repeat these steps two more times until you have the cabbage on top. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the top layer and spread evenly.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you like or make this savoy cabbage cassarole? Don’t forget to leave a comment below or tag #fiveelementswithanna on Instagram.

Savoy Cabbage Cassarole

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Baking time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Hungarian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup rice
  • 9 large leaves savoy cabbage
  • 2 large brown onion finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1½ cups broccoli stalk minced
  • 2 teaspoon ground caraway seed
  • ½ cup tomato passata
  • 2 tablespoons marjoram
  • ½ cup water

White sauce

  • 1 ½ tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 200m ml water reserved from the savoy cabbage
  • 100 gram cheese I used non-dairy
  • 250 ml cream I used soya cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

Instructions
 

  • The first step is to cook the rice using your favourite cooking method (rice cooker, on the stovetop etc.).
  • Add the cabbage leaves to a large pot and add enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn the heat off and set aside without draining. 
  • Add the paprika powder, salt, pepper, and broccoli stalks and stir.
  • Add the pepper, broccoli stalks , caraway seeds and tomato passata.  Stir well then add  the marjoram and water.  Cook for a few minutes and do another taste test to make sure it’s perfect then turn off the heat. Add the rice, mix well and set aside. 
  • Pre-heat the oven to 175 C degrees. Make the white sauce by blending the tapioca starch, water and garlic (I use a Nutri Bullet for this but you can use a blender).  Pour this into a medium sized pot and add the remaining white sauce ingredients. Mix well and bring to a boil.   Make sure you keep stirring frequently, the sauce should thicken as it comes to a boil.   
  • In a  baking tray, add enough cabbage leaves to cover the bottom (I used three large leaves). Next add half of the rice mix  and pat down to flatten. Then add a third of the white sauce  and distribute into an even layer.  Repeat this step and then end with a layer of white sauce. 
  • Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top layer becomes slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

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