Cabbage stuffed with rice and tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized white cabbage
• 200 g of rice
• 300 g of tomato paste or puree
• 1 medium onion
• Spices (salt, pepper, oregano, or other), to taste
• sugar, to taste
• 480 ml of water for the sauce
• 60 ml of water for the rice
• oil, for cooking

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the cabbage for 10 to 20 minutes until the leaves are tender. Remove the core with a sharp knife and drain the cabbage.

Separate the leaves and reserve the smaller leaves and the stem, which will be used as the base in the saucepan.

In a small saucepan, sauté the rice with a little oil. Add 60 ml of water and a small amount of tomato paste, season, and then cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat: the rice should still be firm.

Chop the onion into large pieces and sauté it in a large saucepan.

Add the remaining tomato concentrate, 480 ml of water, salt, pepper, spices, and a little sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Place a small amount of rice at the base of each leaf, fold the sides, and then roll the cabbage into a tightly closed package.

Arrange the tightly packed rolls in the sauce, on a bed of small leaves and rice grains. They should be almost completely covered in sauce, with the remaining rice spread over them.

Cover partially and let it cook for about 90 minutes, tasting the sauce periodically to adjust the seasoning if necessary.