Sharmades with black cabbage*

Pontian

Ingredients for 4-6 people

1 kg of leaves of black cabbage,

3/4 cup rice (carolina variety)

1/2 kg minced meat

2 onions

parsley

1 tomato

salt & pepper

1 cup olive oil

Directions 

Blanch the cabbage leaves and drain well. Knead the minced meat in a bowl with rice, chopped onions, parsley, half of the olive oil, salt, pepper and grated tomato.

Take one cabbage leave, put some of the filling in it, cover the edges of the leave so that it embraces the filling and roll.Place the leave stems at the bottom of a pot and put the sarmades (the rolled cabbage leaves with filling) on the top, in layers.

Pour 1 cup of olive oil and 2 cups of water in the pot.Cover with a plate and let it boil for about an hour on medium heat.

* Black cabbage: pontian green cabbage

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer