Do you enjoy traveling? I do. And since this year we can not travel I thought to do it through cooking. So, starting from Asia, I came up with these cabbage rolls with Chinese cabbage, and rice with black quinoa recipe.
So my starting point was Asia, while I made a stop in Latin America to end up in Greece again. But how does this dish relate to Latin America? This is because of the main ingredient of the filling which is this special parboiled rice mix with black quinoa.
MIX PARBOILED RISE WITH BLACK QUINOA
This particular mix connects parboiled rice with Latin America. How? By adding some black quinoa. Quinoa comes from Latin America and was first cultivated by the Incas.
Quinoa is one of the most popular superfoods, which now exists in our daily diet, enriching it with nutrients, giving color and special flavor to every dish. It is one of the few plant foods that contain all the essential amino acids needed for the body.
You do not need to get anxious about how to make this mix, Euricom Hellas took care of it. Euricom Hellas based on the rice eutopia product created its new line called “nutrition”.
Few words about Euricom Hellas
Euricom Hellas specializes in the production, processing and packaging of rice, with over 20 years of experience. Its premises are of the biggest in Europe, located in Chalastra, an area near Thessaloniki. The area around Chalastra produces the majority of rice in Greece. The daily production capability of the rice mill of the company is 500 tons.
Every year at the end of September they begin to collect the new crop by carefully examining a plethora of samples of all rice varieties grown in Greece, until they reach the ones that meet the quality standards and give the desired result. Creating long-term partnerships with the producers developed by Euricom Hellas ensures the required quality characteristics and origin of the raw ingredient.
MAY I ADD MINCED MEAT TO THE RECIPE?
My purpose in this recipe was to keep it vegan. That’s why I chose to use mushrooms instead of minced meat. However, if you want to add some minced meat, add an equivalent amount of minced meat and skip the mushrooms. Keep in mind that there is always my traditional recipe for cabbage rolls with egg lemon sauce, you may find it here.
CAN I USE ANOTHER KIND OF CABBAGE?
Wanting to give an Asian note to my dish, but also because Chinese cabbage is more delicate, I preferred it for my recipe. If you do not find it on the market, you can also use the classic cabbage.
ARE THERE ANY TRICKY PARTS OF THE RECIPE?
In the recipe I also use dried shiitake mushrooms which I soak in hot water. Then I add the mushrooms after chopping them in the filling, while I add the water to the baking pan. In order the shiitake mushrooms to release more flavor I suggest adding them to hot water being the first step.
While, if some cabbage leaves have thick edges, I suggest cutting them with a knife and lay them on the bottom of the baking pan that you will use.
Finally, attention should be paid to the mushrooms which should be finely chopped. Personally, after I cut them with the knife into medium pieces, I added them to the blender so that they become smaller pieces, like minced meat.
Cabbage rolls with Chinese cabbage, and rice with black quinoa
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 250 gr. mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup parboiled rice with black quinoa
- ½ bunch of dill, finely chopped
For the cabbage rolls
- 1 chinese cabbage
- 2 cups hot water
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
For serving
Instructions
- In two cups of hot water add the shiitake mushrooms and let them soak for an hour. Then remove them from the water and chop finely. Set aside.
- By using a sharp knife cut out the stem from the cabbage and then add it in a large pot with boiling water.
- Boil the cabbage on one side for ten minutes and then, by using a spoon, turn it over so as to soften well on the other side too.
- In a pan, over medium to high heat, add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until tender.
- Then add to the pan the chopped mushrooms. Have in mind that the mushrooms should be finely chopped, like minced meat. Finely chop the shiitake mushrooms and add them to the pan.
- Add to the filling salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir.
- Add the parboiled rice with black quinoa and the dill to the pan and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Set aside.
- To make the cabbage rolls, pick up one cabbage leaf at a time and add 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the center. Fold the sides of the cabbage leaves inward and roll.
- On a large baking pan add the remaining thick spines of the leaves and some leaves in order to cover the bottom of the baking pan. Then add the cabbage rolls, the mushroom stock and the cover with foil.
- Bake at 200°C for 45-50 minutes. Once out of the oven, set them aside, without removing the foil, for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with red pepper flakes, sesame and soy sauce.
So this was my recipe, an alternative recipe for cabbage rolls as we know them in Greek cuisine. Cabbage rolls with Chinese cabbage, and rice with black quinoa. A dish that will make you travel from Asia to Latin America.
I would be thrilled to hear from you. Even more, if you make my recipe and post a photo of it. Just don’t forget to share your photo under the hashtag #tetisflakes. Please do not hesitate to comment below or contact me on Instagram, or Facebook or Twitter!
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