🇲🇪 Montenegrin Cuisine

Sarma

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Prep Time 3 hours

Servings 8

Difficulty Hard

Calories 380 kcal

Tender sauerkraut leaves wrapped around a savory filling of beef, rice, and spices, slow-simmered for hours until the flavors meld into Balkan perfection.

Ingredients

1 head sauerkraut (kiseli kupus), leaves separated
500g ground beef
200g rice, rinsed
2 onions, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper
Smoked beef ribs for layering (optional)

Instructions

1 Rinse sauerkraut leaves if too salty. Trim thick center veins.
2 Sauté onions in olive oil until golden. Cool.
3 Mix beef, rice, sautéed onions, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4 Place a spoonful of filling on each leaf, tuck sides in and roll tightly.
5 Line pot bottom with extra sauerkraut. Layer rolls seam-down. Add optional smoked beef ribs between layers.
6 Add water to just cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer for 2.5-3 hours.

Did You Know?

In Montenegro, sarma is always made in enormous batches — it is said that sarma from a pot of less than 50 rolls simply does not taste right.