Balandėliai - Lithuanian cabbage rolls

Published: March 16th, 2023 - Last updated: March 16th, 2023

Balandėliai is a very popular Lithuanian dish that is recognizable for its unique taste. It is very popular among Lithuanians and is an important element of Lithuanian culture. Balandėliai is a combination of minced meat, rice and onion wrapped in cabbage leaves. They are traditionally served at Christmas and for various family occasions.

How was Balandėliai created?

The word "balandėliai" in Lithuanian means "little pigeons", which perfectly describes their size. Traditionally, balandėliai were prepared with minced meat, rice, onions and spices, wrapped in cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, there is no unequivocal information on the date of creation of the balandėliai. However, it is a dish that has been known in Lithuania for many centuries. Some sources say that their prototype could have been brought by the Tatars or Armenians in the fourteenth century, but this is not the same certainty. Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians and peoples from the Caucasus also prepare similar stuffed cabbage. Everywhere there, the principle of their creation is very similar, they differ only in the meat and spices used.

Recipe informations:

Preparation

30 minutes

Total

110 minutes

Yield

Servings 12

4 (1)

Ingredients

~700 g of cabbage
~400 g of minced meat (pork or pork and beef)
100-120 g of rice
1 carrot
1-2 bay leaves
1 onion
salt and spices
oil for frying

Steps

1. Step

In the first step, we cut out the core of the cabbage, and put the cabbage itself in boiling, salted water and cook for 5-10 minutes.

2. Step

The outer leaves must be removed (we remove 5-7 leaves). Boil the cabbage again and remove the leaves. We can repeat the operation until all large leaves are removed.

3. Step

Throw the rice into boiling, salted water and cook it for about 10 minutes (depending on the type of rice, the time may vary).

4. Step

We grate the carrot into small pieces. Finely chop the onion and fry until soft and translucent.

5. Step

Filling ingredients (minced meat, cooked rice, fried onion) thoroughly mix together with pepper, salt (we can also add your favorite spices to the meat).

6. Step

Take a few tablespoons of the filling and form with your hands into an oblong ball or cylinder. Then wrap the resulting stuffing in cabbage leaves.

7. Step

Fry the rolled cabbage on both sides for 5 minutes. It is best to start frying with the bend facing down first.

8. Step

Put the prepared cabbage leaves on the bottom of the pot. Add grated carrot and finely chopped remaining cabbage. Then place the cabbage rolls close to each other in the dish. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and add bay leaves.

9. Step

Pour the broth into the prepared dish so that the stuffed cabbage is covered with it. Then we cover the dish and stew the pigeons for about an hour. TIP: After boiling, reduce the fire to a minimum so that the broth does not boil over.

10. Step

After this time, the cabbage rolls are ready to eat. They taste best with the addition of sauce, e.g. tomato.