Mediterranean Cabbage and Ground Beef Recipe

Instructions

Step 1.

Cover a wire strainer with 2 layers of paper towels, then pour the yogurt. Put a bowl under the strainer and leave it like this in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Replace the wet paper towel with a dry one every half hour. You will see that the excess yogurt water flows into the bowl at the bottom.

If you wish, you can pour this water while renewing the paper towel. We want the yogurt to drain and solidify.

Step 2.

Separate the leaves of the cabbage. Try to choose thinner ones rather than extra stiff leaves.

Then, start by softening the cabbage.

But instead of putting them directly into the boiling water, steam them. That way, we can keep its vitamins and not smell its bad odor.

Step 3.

Finely chop the onion and garlic, add some salt and sauté in olive oil.

Add the minced meat to the softened onions and continue to sauté.

Add the spices and tomato paste to the mixture and sauté together.

Tip: Cumin is the only thing you cannot give up at this step. Cumin not only takes the smell of cabbage you are uncomfortable with but also provides an incredibly delicious taste harmony. Those who like cumin should not hesitate to add more.

Step 4.

Wash the rice. Strain the extra water and add it to the minced meat mixture.

After mixing all of them for the last time, add 3.5 cups of hot water.

Close the lid of the pot. Lower the fire and cook until the water is completely absorbed.

Take the rice-beef mixture from the stove, which has completely absorbed the water.

Leave it like this for at least 10 minutes without opening the lid.

Step 5.

Bring an oven-proof tray.

Grease with a bit of butter. Lay half of the cabbage leaves in the bottom of the cake tin. There must be no spaces between them.

Tip: This dish will look just like a cake after it’s baked. For this reason, let the part of the leaves go out of the cake pan as you lay the cabbages. In the last step, we will close the cabbage leaves to the top.

Step 6.

In this step, pour the beef rice mixture over the cabbages you lay in the cake mold.

Cover the mixture with a few more cabbage leaves.

Finally, close it with the cabbage leaves you have extended from the sides to the bottom. Grease on top with some oil.

Step 7.

Set the oven to 200 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes after preheating.

When baked, the top of the dish should be browned like a pastry.

Step 8.

Now bring a saucepan, heat the olive oil and melt the butter.

Pour a pinch of paprika and dried mint on it and fry briefly. Keep it aside.

Take out the yogurt you have kept in the fridge.

Add some salt and mix.

Keep it aside.

Step 9.

Take the dish out of the oven.

Turn it upside down like a cake and transfer it to a large plate.

Divide into pizza slices.

Garnish the slices with drained yogurt and spicy oil while serving.