Balandėliai (cabbage rolls) with turkey

Ingredients (serves 4)

• White cabbage (leaves)800 g
• Turkey mince400 g
• Rice (dry)100 g
• Carrot100 g
• Onion100 g
• Tomato purée60 g
• Sour cream 20%60 g

Also: Salt, pepper, bay leaf, water

Method

1. Get ready: bring a large pan of water to the boil over high heat (about 10 min). While it heats, use a sharp knife to cut the core deep out of the cabbage head (800 g).
2. Lower the cabbage head into the boiling water and cook over medium heat for 5–8 min. Lift off the softened leaves one by one with a fork and trim off the thick veins.
3. Rinse the rice (100 g), pour in 200 ml water and cook over medium heat for 8–10 min until half soft. Drain and let it cool.
4. Finely grate the carrot (100 g) and onion (100 g). In a bowl, mix the mince (400 g), rice, carrot and onion, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Put 1–2 tbsp filling on each leaf, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Place the balandėliai in a pan seam side down, tucking the bay leaf in between them.
6. Mix the tomato purée (60 g) and sour cream (60 g) with 400 ml water. Pour it over the balandėliai so they're almost covered.
7. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then cover and braise over low heat for 50 min.
8. Check: when you cut a roll open, the filling must not be pink inside and the juices must run clear (or a thermometer shows 75 °C). Cool any leftovers within 2 hours and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.