Romano cabbage rolls with lamb and lentils
4 servings
40 minutes
Cabbage rolls made with romaine lettuce, lamb, and lentils offer a modern take on a classic Russian dish infused with Eastern aromas. Unlike traditional cabbage rolls, this version uses tender romaine lettuce whose delicate leaves wrap around a savory filling. The lamb mince sautéed with garlic, onion, and red curry powder gains a rich spicy flavor while the lentils add texture and a light nutty note. Baked in beef broth, they become incredibly juicy and infused with spice aromas. This dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or a festive feast, surprising with its blend of simplicity and sophistication. It is served with reduced broth transformed into a velvety sauce that reveals the full depth of flavor of this unusual cabbage roll variant.
1
Sauté finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, add lamb mince, curry powder, and simmer, stirring, for ten minutes, almost until cooked. Season with salt and pepper, and mix with cooked lentils.
- Olive oil: 50 ml
- Onion: 1 head
- Garlic: 8 cloves
- Minced lamb: 400 g
- Red curry powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Red lentils: 400 g
2
Dip the romaine lettuce leaves in boiling salted water for two minutes, then cool and wrap them around meatballs.
- Romaine lettuce: 1 piece
3
Place the cabbage rolls in a deep baking dish, pour in boiling beef broth, seal the dish with foil, make a few holes for steam to escape, and put the dish in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for twenty minutes.
- Beef broth: 1 l
4
After that, remove the cabbage rolls, strain the broth, reduce it by half in a saucepan, and use it as a sauce for the cabbage rolls.