Posna Sarma

Posna Sarma (Serbian recipe)

This recipe is similar to the recipe for Greek dolmas, though it's made with cabbage instead of grape leaves. The usual sarma is made with ground pork and chuck, resulting in a combination of meat, oil and cabbage, however this is a vegetarian version. If you prefer to us ground pork or chuck simply leave out the oil and fry the meat, then add remaining ingredients.

Ingredients

1 cabbage (or sweet cabbage)

5 onions (diced)

2 stalks celery

olive oil

1 green pepper (diced)

3.5 oz rice (cooked)

3.5 oz walnuts (ground)

1 can whole tomatoes

salt

Cut out the hard core of the cabbage and boil the cabbage and then separate each leaf. Heat oil in a skillet and add onions, celery and green pepper. Fry until soft. Add the cooked rice and stir fry the mixture for about two minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and add walnuts and salt. Mix well. Take a cabbage leaf and scoop approx. one tablespoon of the mixture on it. Roll up the leaf, the sides should be folded inside to prevent the mixture from falling out. Place the rolls in a large pan, add the tomatoes and enough water to cover them up. Cook over a medium heat for about one hour.Switch of the heat and keep the sarma's covered until it's time to eat.

Pelmini

Pelmeni (Eastern Europe Ravioli) is a dish that we had while in Kazakhstan. It is widely served in many Eastern European countries.

This recipe makes about 100 pelmeni which serves 10 people.

Ingredients for the dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

1/3 cup water

Combine flour and salt and mound on a clean surface. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and water. Incorporate flour mixture with egg mixture by working around the walls of the well until the dough is mixed. Knead on a floured surface until soft and pliable. Form into 100 balls, cover with a moist towel and let rest at room temperature for one hour.

Ingredients for the filling

1 pound ground beef

1 onion (minced)

1 teaspoon dried dill

Salt and pepper to taste

White of one small egg (beaten)

Water, chicken or beef broth

4 oz butter

Mix ground beef, onion, dill, salt and pepper to taste and enough water to make a soft mixture. When the dough is ready, flatten the dough balls into circles with a diameter of 7.5 cm. Place one tablespoon filling on each dough round. Brush the edges with water and fold the dough to form half moons. Pinch opposite ends to one another to seal. Repeat this with the rest of the dough balls. Brush the pelmeni with beaten egg white. Bring a large pot full of salted water to boil, you also can use chicken or beef broth. Without crowding, drop the pelmeni into the boiling water (or broth), stirring to prevent sticking, until the pelmeni comes to surface (about 4 minutes). Remove the pelmeni and put them on a large plate. Melt butter over medium heat and drizzle it over the pelmeni. You can also serve pelmeni with sour cream or a white sauce.