Debfood Recipe Template: Keema Bhare Bandh Gobhi

(Julie Sahni via Richard)

Ingredients

All the ingredients for one batch of keema

1 small cabbage (about 1.75 - 2 pounds)

3 tablespoons light vegetable oil

1.5 cups slices onions

1.25 cups chopped fresh red tomatoes, or one cup canned tomatos (with all their juices) chopped

1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger root

1 lemon, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

2.5 teaspoons kosher salt

.25 teaspoons black pepper

If you prefer, substitute Potato filling as described in Spicy Potato stuffing

(In this case you are making Aloo Bhare Bandh Gobhi)

Directions

Step 1:

Insert a sharp knife into the cabbage where the leaves join the stem.  Slowly run the knife arround the stem in a conical circle to disjoin it from the cabbage leaves.  Discard the steam and the hard core

Step 2: 

Option A: (Preferred)

Steam the cabbage, gathering individuals leaves as they become limp and flexible.

Option B: (Official)

Rinse the cabbage thoroughly.  Place it a deep pot and add enough cold water to cover the cabbage by at least one inch.  Bring to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and cook for 5 minutes.  Let the cabbage drain thoroughly.  When cool enough to handle separate the leaves. 

Save 15-16 leaves and finely shread the remainder (there should be 1.5 - 1.75 cups of shredded leaves)

Step 3:

Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pan and add the onions.  Saute over medium heat until they are wilted and begin to color (about 5 minutes)  Add the shredded cabbage, tomoatos, ginger, lemon slices, salt, pepper, and 1.5 cups of water.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and set sauce aside [The cabbage and sauce can be prepared a day ahead and refridgerated until you are ready to asseble the dish]

Step 4:

About 1.25 hours before you are ready to serve begin assembling.  Preheat oven to 375

Step 5:  Place one large cabbage leaf at a time on the workboard.  Put 2.5 tablespoons of keema in the center.  Fold the cabbage leaf over, jelly roll fashion, tucking in the ends as you roll.  There should be 12 cabbage rolls in all.

Step 6:  Add 1/3 of the pulpy tomato sauce to the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold all the cabbage rolls snuggly in one layer.  [8 x 12 inch pan works well]  Add caggabe rolls.  Top with the remaining sauce.  Cover and seal tightly with aluminum foil.

Step 7:  Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes.  Uncover the pan, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve immediately