Kaalikääryleet (with a twist)

I've been on a roll making tons of Finnish food this week to celebrate Finnish Independence Day (Itsenäisyyspäiva). I made these kaalikääryleet for my husband to try; he's familiar with the Middle Eastern version of the dish known as malfouf, but what's unique about the Finnish recipe is that the rolls are cooked in the oven in a casserole pan and topped with butter and a sugary syrup.

In this recipe I drizzled honey and pomegranate molasses over the top of the rolls before baking, and added heavier spices to the filling than would usually be found in the Finnish version.

Ingredients

2 large white onions

4 garlic cloves

4 tbsp butter

1 cup beef or vegetable stock

 Honey (to drizzle)

Pomegranate molasses (to drizzle)

1 head cabbage

 1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cups cooked rice (short grain white rice is best, I used basmati because it was what I had around)

Instructions

Step 1: Dice the onion and add to a large pan on medium heat with 2 tbsp butter. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and cover to help them cook faster. When they're clear, add in the garlic and let everything caramelize. Deglaze with soy sauce and stock as needed.

Step 2 (the cabbage): As the onion cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel off the outer cabbage leaves from the head. Skewer the stem of the cabbage with chopsticks or a metal/wooden skewer and lower it into the pot of boiling water. Allow the leaves to cook for 90 seconds, peel them off, and repeat with each layer until you reach the center of the cabbage. This is the Magnus Nillson method of cooking cabbage for this recipe. As you do this, you should be checking on the onion and garlic periodically to add more water, soy sauce, or stock as needed. Set aside the leaves on a plate to cool as you go. Set aside 1 cup of the cabbage cooking liquid.

Step 3: After the onion and garlic are caramelized, add in the ground beef and all spices. The ones in the list are what I used, but many spices will work well in this recipe. Cook the beef through.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the beef/onion mix with the cooked rice. Really smash everything together so it's combined well. 

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 5: Pour the set aside cabbage liquid and 1 cup beef stock in a 9x13 pan. 

Step 6: Begin to assemble your rolls. With each cabbage leaf, shave down the thick central stem with a paring knife so the rolls will be flatter and easier to fold. Add a spoonful of filling to the center of each leaf and wrap like you would a burrito. 

Step 7: Add the rolls into the pan with the central stem facing up. Drizzle with the remaining butter, honey, and pomegranate molasses. 

Step 8: Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, checking periodically.

Step 9: Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving with more pomegranate molasses and sprigs of fresh dill.

 

Hyvää Itsenäisyyspäivä! I hope you enjoyed this recipe.