You probably mean Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls (called töltött káposzta). Here’s a traditional-style but simple home recipe.
🥬 Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Töltött Káposzta)
🍲 Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 500 g ground pork (or mixed pork + beef)
- 1 cup rice (uncooked or partially cooked)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2–3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp paprika (important for flavor)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the sauce:
- 2–3 tbsp oil or lard
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 400 g canned tomatoes (or tomato puree)
- 2 cups sauerkraut (optional but traditional)
- 2–3 cups water or broth
- Salt to taste
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the cabbage
- Boil the whole cabbage in water for 5–10 minutes
- Peel off softened leaves one by one
- Cut out thick stem parts so leaves roll easily
2. Make filling
In a bowl mix:
- Ground meat
- Rice
- Onion
- Garlic
- Egg
- Paprika, salt, pepper
Mix well until combined.
3. Roll cabbage
- Place filling in each leaf
- Fold sides in
- Roll tightly like a burrito
4. Prepare base sauce
- Heat oil in a pot
- Sauté onion
- Add paprika (quickly, don’t burn it)
- Add tomatoes + water/broth
5. Assemble
- Add some sauerkraut at bottom (optional but traditional)
- Layer cabbage rolls in pot
- Add more sauerkraut between layers if using
- Pour sauce over everything
6. Cook
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours
- Stir gently occasionally (don’t break rolls)
🍽️ Serving
- Serve hot with sour cream on top
- Best flavor after resting a bit or even next day
🧠 Tips
- Paprika is essential for authentic Hungarian taste
- Slow cooking makes it richer and more tender
- Some families add smoked meat for deeper flavor
🧩 Bottom line
This is a classic Eastern European comfort dish—simple ingredients, slow cooking, rich flavor.
If you want, I can also give you a quick version (under 1 hour) or a baked oven-style version.
