Sarmale

Name: Sarmale
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 6 plates
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Sauerkraut, one whole pickled cabbage head: 18 to 20 leaves for rolling, the rest shredded; 600 g Pork, minced, with some fat; 80 g Rice, short or medium grain, rinsed; 2 large Onion, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 tbsp Tomato purée; 1 tsp Thyme, dried; summer savory if you find it; 10 g Dill, chopped; 1 tsp Black pepper; 1 tsp Salt, go easy, the cabbage is salty; 150 g Bacon, smoked, thick slices; 300 ml Passata; 500 ml Water, or enough to cover; 2 piece Bay leaf; 200 g Sour cream

Romanian cabbage rolls: pork and rice wrapped in sour pickled cabbage leaves, braised slowly with smoked bacon and tomato.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Rest: None
Total: 3 hr 30 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: No chilli
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Sarmale are small, tight rolls of pickled cabbage leaves around a filling of minced pork, rice, onion and herbs, packed into a pot with shredded sour cabbage and smoked bacon, covered with thinned tomato and braised for hours. The pickled leaves are what separate Romanian sarmale from most other cabbage rolls: they bring a sour, fermented depth that fresh cabbage cannot. The rolls should be small, two bites each, and the pot should cook low enough that nothing breaks. They are better the day after, reheated, with mămăligă and a spoon of sour cream.

What you'll need

15 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 15 ready

6 servings

Ingredients
Filling
Pot
To serve

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Sauerkraut, one whole pickled cabbage head: 18 to 20 leaves for rolling, the rest shredded1.2 kg

Filling

Pork, minced, with some fat600 g
Rice, short or medium grain, rinsed80 g
Onion, finely chopped2 large
Neutral oil44 ml
Tomato purée30 ml
Thyme, dried; summer savory if you find it4.9 ml
Dill, chopped10 g
Black pepper4.9 ml
Salt, go easy, the cabbage is salty4.9 ml

Pot

Bacon, smoked, thick slices150 g
Passata300 ml
Water, or enough to cover500 ml
Bay leaf2

To serve

Sour cream200 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Separate the cabbage leaves. Taste one; if it is very sour or salty, rinse the leaves briefly. Cut out the thick rib from each leaf and halve any large leaves. Shred the small inner leaves and the trimmings.
20 min
Step 2
Soften the onion in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and tomato purée for 2 minutes. Cool, then mix thoroughly with the pork, thyme, dill, pepper and salt.
15 min
Step 3
Lay a leaf rib-end towards you, put a walnut-sized spoon of filling near the edge, fold in the sides and roll into a tight cylinder the size of your thumb. Repeat with all the filling.
25 min
Tip: Small rolls cook evenly and look right. Big ones are Polish.
Step 4
Line a heavy pot with half the shredded cabbage and a few bacon slices. Pack the rolls in tightly in concentric circles, seam down, tucking bacon and bay leaves between layers. Cover with the rest of the shredded cabbage.
10 min
Step 5
Mix passata and water and pour over until the rolls are just covered. Set a plate on top to hold them under. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook at the lowest heat, or in a 160°C oven, for 2 to 2.5 hours.
150 min160°C
Watch: They must not boil hard. A boil breaks the rolls and turns the pot to soup.
Step 6
Shake the pot rather than stir. The liquid should have reduced to a thick, orange sauce. Taste it for salt.
2 min
Step 7
Rest 20 minutes or, better, cool and reheat the next day. Serve with mămăligă, sour cream and a hot chilli on the side for those who want it.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 672 kcal
Protein: 43.7 g
Carbs: 37 g
Fat: 37.7 g
Saturated fat: 12.9 g
Fibre: 5.1 g
Sugar: 9.1 g
Sodium: 724 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Whole pickled cabbage leaves → Fresh white cabbage leaves blanched 3 minutes, plus 400 g shredded sauerkraut layered in the pot
You keep the sour depth in the sauce even if the leaves themselves are mild. Common in Romanian cities in summer.
Pork → Half pork, half beef
Equally traditional in many families.

Tips

Romanian shops sell whole pickled cabbages in brine in autumn and winter. Ask for varză murată.
A few slices of smoked sausage or a smoked pork rib in the pot is common and adds more than bacon alone.
They freeze well in their sauce. Reheat covered in the oven.

History & culture

The Christmas, Easter and wedding dish of Romania and Moldova, made in enormous pots by several generations at once. No celebration table is complete without them. Winter food above all, when whole heads of cabbage have been pickling in barrels since autumn. Romanians argue about size, herbs and whether to add smoked meat.

The name is Turkish, from sarmak, to wrap, and the dish arrived under Ottoman rule, as it did across the Balkans. Romanians made it their own with pork, pickled cabbage and smoked meat, all of which the Ottomans would not have used. Pickling whole cabbages for winter is older still.

Traditional — Summer savory (cimbru) is the Romanian herb for sarmale and is not in the catalogue; thyme stands in. Whole pickled cabbage heads are sold in Romanian and Balkan shops; if you can only get shredded sauerkraut, see the substitution.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Sarmale take?

3 hr 30 min all in — 1 hr prep, 2 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Frying pan, Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp (go easy, the cabbage is salty).

What can I use instead?

Whole pickled cabbage leaves → Fresh white cabbage leaves blanched 3 minutes, plus 400 g shredded sauerkraut layered in the pot. You keep the sour depth in the sauce even if the leaves themselves are mild. Common in Romanian cities in summer. Pork → Half pork, half beef. Equally traditional in many families.

What should I watch for?

They must not boil hard. A boil breaks the rolls and turns the pot to soup.

Any tips from this recipe?

Romanian shops sell whole pickled cabbages in brine in autumn and winter. Ask for varză murată. A few slices of smoked sausage or a smoked pork rib in the pot is common and adds more than bacon alone. They freeze well in their sauce. Reheat covered in the oven.

Can I prepare this ahead?

They freeze well in their sauce. Reheat covered in the oven. Rest 20 minutes or, better, cool and reheat the next day. Serve with mămăligă, sour cream and a hot chilli on the side for those who want it.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.