Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Töltött káposzta)

This is a common Christmas dish in Hungary, but people make it other times too, mainly during winter. There are several versions of this dish, varying by regions. Sometimes tomato sauce is added, and in other recipes the meat is stuffed in sour cabbage leaves. There are arguments about whether we should or shouldn't precook the rice, add or don't add an egg etc. I think, it doesn't matter what recipe you use, you'll get a delicious meal. This is my version of it:

Ingredients (for 8-10)
1 large cabbage (8 lb, 4 kg)
1,7 lb (800 gr) ground pork
1 cup (about 200 gr) rice, half-cooked (the amount is of the uncooked rice)
1 egg
3 onions, finely chopped
5 tbsp oil
2,2 lbs (1000 gr) sauerkraut
3 garlic cloves - minced
paprika (1,5 tbsp for the stuffing + 4 tsp /or more/ for the layers)
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
Optional:
1 stick spicy Hungarian sausage
½ lb (200 gr) smoked meat
Sour cream – for serving
(a very large pot for cooking)

1. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the chopped onions on low heat until soft but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Carefully remove the core of the cabbage and place it in large pot of boiling salted water.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes
4. Using two forks or a tong remove the outer leaves when they're pliable and soft.(do it gently without ripping them). Remove as many leaves as you can and let them cool.
5. Continue to cook the head if the inner leaves are still hard. When they're soft, remove them.
6. Trim the thick center vein of the leaves – it'll help you roll them more easily
7. Remove the small, inner part of the cabbage from the water, let it cool, then slice it thinly – we'll use it later.
8. Now, let's make the stuffing:
9. Add the half-cooked rice to the ground pork, then mix a little.
10. Add half of the softened onion, paprika, salt, pepper, minced garlic and egg.
11. Mix it together with your hands until everything is well combined.
12. Now, place one cabbage leaf in your hand, add a handful of stuffing to the bottom part.
13. First, fold the stem end, then fold over one side and start rolling, tucking in the side of the leaf
14. Roll it up tightly then push the other end in with your fingers
15. Do the same with the rest of your leaves and stuffing. (leave some leaves – the torn ones -for later use)
16. Using the sausage and the smoked meat are optional, but it gives a really good flavor to the dish.
17. Slice the sausage (use spicy Hungarian type if you can), and cut the smoked meat into thick slices.
18. Pour the rest of the softened onion with the oil into a very large pot, add 1 tbsp paprika and stir.
19. Add a layer of sauerkraut then place half of the smoked meat and sausage slice on it.
20. Again: a layer of sauerkraut and a teaspoon of paprika
21. The next layer is the stuffed cabbage rolls. Cover them with the sliced, cooked cabbage, and add a layer of sauerkraut.
22. Repeat this layering until all the cabbage rolls are gone.
23. Sprinkle some paprika on top, add the bay leaves and peppercorns, then cover it with the cabbage leaves you set aside earlier.
24. Pour about 1 liter of water over. Put the pot on the stove, cover and cook on medium heat for 1,5-2 hours (until the meat is cooked through, and the sauerkraut is soft).
25. Remove from the heat when it's ready.
26. Serve 1-2 rolls per person, with the sauerkraut, sausage slices and smoked meat on side.
27. Pour over some sour cream and serve it with slices of nice, crusty bread.
28. ENJOY!

/The music is based on a Hungarian folk song, played and made by my husband, MrStick© 2016 - (all rights reserved)/

[robertleslie]

Growing up in a large hungarian family in america in the 60's we ate and loved stuffed cabbage a lot. We didn't have a lot of money so sour cream was a real treat. Nowadays I can't eat any hungarian food without sour cream and heavy on paprika. Some would say that hungarian food is peasant food but I always felt like a rich man eating it. Love this channel!

My mom had passed away last year, and this was one of her best dishes. After searching for a recipe that looked like hers today I finally decided to prepare this one. And it was AMAZING!!! Thank you very much for sharing it, it made our family happy! 😊

[inkawsmith]

In Poland, except typical white cabbage, we use red cabbage, kale (Italian cabbage) or sauerkraut whole leaves from cabbage. To stuff cabbage, we have many types of stuffing. More popular are -buckwheat with dried mushrooms (forest mushrooms), minced potatoes with onions and spices.

[dexterdog]

I just subscribed to your channel. Your Hungarian recipes seem to be the most authentic and simple to make. Your videos are well presented making it very easy to follow! Thank you for taking the time to post these videos, I will be trying them all.

[k.e.r.]

I like to brown the sauer kraut in bacon/pork grease before adding to layers. This channel brings back very fond memories of my grandmother.

[gemamalove]

I used to eat this when I had my internship in Hungary years ago. My friend's mother cooked this for me when I would visit their house. This is one of my favorites!

[eew]

I was in Budapest for New Years after traveling to Europe for the first time in almost 20 years. I had stuffed cabbage rolls at a restaurant upstairs at the Central Market Hall, and it was one of my favorite dishes from all of my travels through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. I vowed to try to make it sometime, and your version looks delicious! I made Chicken Paprikash last week, and it was phenomenal. Hoping the cabbage rolls turn out amazing too!

[Manoka]

Fuuu de jó 🙂 köszönöm. My mom passed away and I learned a lot but this one I have yet to make on my own. Thank you for the video. I’m going to try this out. I also have some authentic paprika from Hungary on my last visit home. So I’m very excited. Puszika Molnár Samantha-

[JohnSmith-mwhh]

Yes!!!! If you follow this recipe you WILL have good results. Only difference from our family's way is the use of tomato juice. I am definitely going to try it this way, though. Your ingredients are spot-on! Was glad to see a truly authentic Hungarian recipe.

[liscel]

I have to make this look so good I love the sauerkraut and the cabbage so much as well as everything it looks so delicious thank you

[judiantonacci]

Pretty much how I make it. Love it.. My Hungarian Mom taught me. Good video.. Nice job. The best I've seen so far.

[startedthatjob]

This recipe is great. I’m going to make it today! Koszonom szepen! 👍❤️😊

[mariakovacs]

Born in Budapest, Hungary and enjoy Toltott Kaposzta i.e. "Stuffed Cabbage".. Note: both sides of our family (Father and Mother's side) used RAW rice for stuffing because it cooks together flavors perfectly and keeps better shape. We always roasted it all in the oven, used lots of Hungarian paprika and added sour cream on the side... without tomatoe sauce. ... Note: it is the Stuffed Bell peppers in deep tomatoe sauce that we cooked souplike on stove top, not the stuffed cabbage.

[myroses]

This is exactly how we made our Paprikash since I was young. Now a days I rarely have the good Hungarian sausage at home. I did make it once a little different that tasted great. I used some smoked bacon, Thick cut. I cooked it close to halfway done and then put the bacon and a little of the bacon grease into the big pan to cook through with the cabbage rolls and it tasted really good. But the way you explain it here is good old fashion Delishesness. Thank you

[michaelhudecek]

And another wonderful recipe!! I can’t believe that I have never come across your channel before!! I also love your dog!! He is beautiful!! Mike

[chickadeetle]

This is almost exactly how my family, that came from Szatmar megyge (county), makes it. We add sausage (I find it hard to get Hungarian so I use pepperoni sticks cut into chunksas) and/or Kolbaz (Polish Kielbasa since Hungarian hard to get here). We also first fry diced bacon, then saute the onions in the bacon grease . Half the bacon and onions goes in the meat mixture with the par cooked rice, the other half in the layers. We don't use tomatoes just lots of paprika (much more than listed in the recipe). ---Some may find this weird and it is not traditional, but I developed a taste for toltott kaposzta with homemade mayonnaise based potato salad as a side since our family gatherings always had Hungarian food and American food combined. They taste great used to love steal small cold rolls from the fridge and get yelled at by my nagyanya.

[Shamonwhitehurst]

I just made this tonight for New Years Eve….it came out absolutely fantastic!! Thank you for this video

[AnneGoggansQHHT]

My grandparents were Hungarian, and I seem to remember this being done in the oven in a slightly shallower pan.

[ArkhamNorth]

I can't love this recipe and video enough. It's my go-to. Thank you for not adding tomatoes. ☺

[finacan]

Great recipe full of flavor ! I love your beautiful DOG ❤ thanks God bless you & your sweet DOG