Recette de cuisineHomemade recipes · Hainaut
Favorites
Sarmi de Stanimaka, small, sour-flavored cabbage rolls filled with Asenovgrad ingredients

Sarmi de Stanimaka, small, sour-flavored cabbage rolls filled with Asenovgrad ingredients

Main dishes

Asenovgrad Sarma: Tiny rolls of sour cabbage filled with ground pork, rice, cumin, and paprika, cooked for three hours over low heat until the water is co…

Enlarge photo

Recipe from Ted Masters, OsvátA, Dako1 and 1 other contributors, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

↓ Jump to recipe

These rolls are one of the most typical dishes of Asenovgrad, the former Stanimaka, and they can only be found there. They are very small and require patience, but the recipe is simple and the result is delicious.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time1 hr
  • Cook time3 hr
  • Total4 hr
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodsaucepan
  • Estimated cost$10.03 $1.67 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 12, 2026.

Ingredients

6 people
  • $7.05
  • $0.95
  • $0.23
  • $0.16
  • $0.61
  • $0.84
  • $0.19

Prices from US supermarkets for 6 of 7 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Thoroughly mix the meat, rice, cumin, pepper, and paprika. ≈ 4 min
  2. Remove the large veins from the sour cabbage leaves and cut them into small strips. ≈ 8 min
  3. Place a teaspoon of filling on each strip of pastry and roll it up; continue until all the filling is used. ≈ 10 min
  4. Place a colander in the bottom of a large pot and cover it with cabbage leaves.
  5. Layer the sarma in 3 or 4 layers, sprinkling each layer with a little cumin, pepper, and a small piece of Jamaican hot pepper, and optionally adding slices of bacon, cured ham, or smoked bacon. ≈ 2 min
  6. Cover with cabbage leaves, water with oil, and pour in boiling water: three parts water for one part rice.
  7. Place a plate on top of the sarmi to keep them in place. ≈ 3 min
  8. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 3 hours, until the water has completely evaporated, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

The bill

Sarmi de Stanimaka, small, sour-flavored cabbage rolls filled with Asenovgrad ingredients

  • 500 g of ground pork, not too fatty (or a mixture of pork and beef)$7.05
  • 300 to 350 grams of rice$0.95
  • ground cumin$0.23
  • ground black pepper$0.16
  • 1 tablespoon of ground paprika$0.61
  • 200 ml of oil$0.84
  • a few Jamaican hot peppers$0.19

Total$10.03

that's $1.67 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

Affiliate links

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 500 g of ground pork, not too fatty (or a mixture of pork and beef)
  • 300 to 350 grams of rice
  • ground cumin
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of ground paprika
  • 200 ml of oil
  • Fermented whole cabbage leaves (sauerkraut)
  • a few Jamaican hot peppers
  • boiling water
  • a few slices of bacon, cured ham, or pancetta (optional)

The screen stays on while cooking mode is open.
🎬 Have a video of this recipe? Suggest a YouTube link

Did you film this recipe, or do you know a video that shows it? Axelle watches it before adding it to the page.

Nothing is published before approval.

✏️ A mistake, an idea for this recipe? Suggest a correction

Reviews (0)

Rate this recipe Be the first to rate it!

Your rating