Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Rice, Cabbage, and Ground Meat in a Pot
A hearty dish where all ingredients are mixed, shaped into rolls, and stewed in a creamy tomato sauce.
Updated : 04 July, 2025
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
600 grams
Ground meat
400 grams
White cabbage
1 cup
Rice
1
Onion
1
Carrot
1
Eggs
6 tablespoon
Wheat flour
6 tablespoon
Sour cream
3 tablespoon
Tomato paste
100 milliliters
Vegetable oil
to taste
Ground black pepper
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Advices
Advice
In this recipe, tomato paste can be replaced with canned tomatoes in their own juice, fresh tomatoes, or ketchup.
Preparation
Step 1
You can use any kind of ground meat - beef and pork mixed like I have, chicken, or turkey. You can buy ready-made ground meat or make it yourself. You can adjust the proportion of vegetables to your taste.
Step 2
First, prepare the rice. Rinse it thoroughly several times, cover with clean cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for a couple of minutes, then drain in a sieve and let cool.
Step 3
Chop the cabbage into small cubes. I’ve seen recipes where it’s grated on a coarse grater for lazy cabbage rolls, but I haven’t tried that myself. Instead of white cabbage, you could use Napa cabbage.
Step 4
Put the cabbage into a bowl and pour over boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then drain in a sieve to remove excess liquid. Alternatively, you can boil the cabbage for 5 minutes or sauté it in a pan with oil.
Step 5
Chop the onion into small cubes.
Step 6
Grate the carrot on a coarse grater.
Step 7
Sauté the vegetables in a small amount of vegetable oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 8
Take a bowl, add the ground meat, rice, cabbage, and the sautéed vegetables. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. You can also add your favorite spices. Crack in an egg.
Step 9
Mix the filling until it becomes sticky and holds together well. If it’s too loose, add another egg or a little water.
Step 10
With wet hands, form elongated rolls from the meat mixture. Dredge them in flour. I made 8 pieces, as I cooked half a portion.
Step 11
Fry the rolls in vegetable oil on both sides over high heat until golden brown. Use plenty of oil because the rolls absorb it quickly.
Step 12
Place the browned rolls in a pot with a thick bottom. You can also use a roasting pan or a deep frying pan with high sides.
Step 13
Prepare the sauce. Mix sour cream with tomato paste and thin it out with hot water to the consistency of thin yogurt. Add salt to taste.
Step 14
Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls so it almost completely covers them. If there’s not enough sauce, add water directly to the pot.
Step 15
Put the pot on medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the cabbage rolls for 30-40 minutes.
Step 16
Serve the cabbage rolls with sour cream or mayonnaise. Enjoy your meal!