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Romanian

Sarmale

Non-vegetarian

Small rolls of cabbage leaf filled with pork, rice, dill and thyme, slow-cooked with smoked bacon, sauerkraut and tomato. Romania's festive dish, served with mămăligă and sour cream.

Sarmale is a Romanian main course, ready in about 4 hours and made with cabbage and ground pork. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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A scrumptious serving of cabbage rolls with tomato and yogurt sauces on a black plate.
Photo: Nadin Sh / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
1 h
Cook
3 h
Total
4 h
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
453

Ingredients

8 servings (about 40 rolls)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Core the cabbage (opens in a new tab) and simmer it whole, peeling off leaves as they soften. Shave down the thick ribs and cut large leaves in half so the rolls will be small.

  2. Step 2

    Fry the onions (opens in a new tab) in the oil until soft, add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, then the tomato paste (opens in a new tab). Cool, then mix with the pork, dill (opens in a new tab), thyme (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 15 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Roll a walnut-sized spoonful of filling in each piece of leaf, tucking the ends in tightly.

    • 30 min

  4. Step 4

    Line a heavy ovenproof pot with half the sauerkraut (opens in a new tab) and some bacon (opens in a new tab). Pack in the rolls snugly in layers with the remaining bacon and bay, top with the rest of the sauerkraut. Mix the passata with the water and pour over to just cover.

  5. Step 5

    Bring to a simmer on the hob, then cover and cook in the oven (opens in a new tab) until the cabbage (opens in a new tab) is silky and the sauce reduced.

    Food safety: Make sure the filling reaches 71 °C.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  6. Step 6

    Serve hot with mămăligă, sour cream (opens in a new tab) and a hot chilli on the side.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Romania · Commonly attributedStuffed leaves (sarma) came to the region with Ottoman cuisine; Romania claims sarmale as a national dish.Also popular in MoldovaMore food from Romania
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Braised, Slow-cooked, Oven-baked
    Taste
    savoury, sour, smoky, herby
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
    Cook more with
    Cabbage · Ground pork · Long-grain white rice · Onion · Tomato paste · Dill
    Techniques
    Baking · Simmering · Braising · Reduction

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom sour cream

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    453 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 445 g · recipe makes 8

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 19%
    • Carbohydrate 24%
    • Fat 58%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy453 kcal102 kcal
    Protein21.5 g4.8 g
    Carbohydrate27.1 g6.1 g
    Net carbohydrate20.8 g4.7 g
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre6.3 g1.4 g
    Fat29.4 g6.6 g
    Saturated fat9.7 g2.2 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol75 mg17 mg
    Sodium925 mg208 mg
    Salt equivalent2.3 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    901 mg
    Calcium
    106 mg
    Iron
    4 mg
    Magnesium
    61 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    35 µg
    Vitamin C
    58 mg
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    0.7 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    126 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sour cream.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Sarmale are always better reheated — make them a day ahead.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze in their sauce.

    Reheating

    • Reheat slowly, covered, in the oven or on the hob.

    Variations

    • Sarmale în foi de viță: Wrapped in vine leaves instead of cabbage, popular in summer.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 4, 6

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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