How to make frozen cabbage rolls

So, there are 12 frozen stuffed cabbage rolls. Today we will talk about frozen stuffed cabbage rolls as a semi-finished product. If we talk about those that were frozen in a ready-made state, then it's simple: take them out, for example, in the evening, they will thaw perfectly overnight, and you don't have to worry about leaving them on the kitchen table - nothing will happen to them. And then you just need to heat them up in any way - in the microwave or in a frying pan - and prepare a tomato or sour cream sauce separately to serve with them. But you don't need to defrost the semi-finished stuffed cabbage rolls at all. I always cook them on the stove in a pot with thick walls, you can use a steamer or a pressure cooker. Of course, you can use a ceramic dish or a deep baking sheet and cook everything in the oven.

Next, let's talk about two cooking methods. The first one is more nourishing, calorie-rich, and, frankly, probably tastier - it's frying, both the stuffed cabbage rolls themselves and the vegetables for the sauce. The second method is more gentle and dietary - not frying anything at all. In this case, you simply layer the stuffed cabbage rolls, each of which is sprinkled with grated carrot. And then pour the desired sauce on top. The approximate composition of mine: broth, tomato paste, tomatoes in their own juice, and spices. I have described this in more detail in this recipe. But today will be a more nourishing, far from the most dietary option. So, the stuffed cabbage rolls themselves. If you are going to fry them, it would be better if you choose them a little in advance, at least a couple of hours. It has been noticed that it's better not to fry them in a 100% frozen state. So let's not fry them at all, let's make the dish a bit lighter. If you have frozen not only the stuffed cabbage rolls but also the remaining cabbage (small leaves into which nothing can be wrapped anymore), simply lay them on the bottom of the pot, and on top of them, as tight as possible, our frozen stuffed cabbage rolls.

Now let's make the sauce in which our cabbage rolls will be cooked. The amount of sauce depends on how tightly you packed the semi-finished products. The sauce should cover our cabbage rolls. If you accidentally make too little, simply add broth or water with a little extra salt if needed. Peel the onion and carrot. Grate the carrot and dice the onion. Heat a pan, pour in two or three tablespoons of vegetable oil (or olive oil) and add the chopped vegetables. It's better to sauté the onion for a couple of minutes first, then add the carrot and sauté for another two minutes.

Next, tomatoes. If you're cooking the sauce in season, it's better to use fresh, preferably meaty varieties. If you want to remove the skin, pour boiling water over the tomatoes, let them sit for about a minute, then drain the water and pour cold water over them. After 30 seconds, the skin will easily come off. If the skin doesn't bother you, especially since the tomatoes will still need to be chopped, you can skip this step. You can chop them in a blender or simply dice them. Since it's not the season right now, I'm using already chopped tomatoes, canned in their own juice. Add the entire contents of the can to the pan with the sautéed vegetables. Also add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.

Now let's add the broth. Do you only have bouillon cubes? No problem, just use water. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and add bay leaves and cloves of allspice. If you happen to have adjika, it will be a great addition to the sauce. Add it to taste. Make sure to taste it - the sauce should have a rich flavor, as it needs to soak the cabbage rolls. Now pour the sauce into a pot, right over the cabbage rolls, and place it on the stove. The sauce should cover our cabbage rolls. But! The cabbage rolls will also release some liquid, so if there's a couple of centimeters missing, don't worry - besides the liquid from the cabbage rolls, they will settle slightly.

You can garnish the top with a sprig of rosemary, parsley, or celery - for added aroma. Bring everything to a boil - don't forget that the cabbage rolls are frozen and will slightly cool down the sauce, so after it boils, start with medium heat, and after about five minutes, tightly cover the pot, set it to the lowest heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes. I think I've covered everything. Before serving, I always add a little sour cream, individually, to each plate. Enjoy your meal!