“Golubtsi”

Ingredients for 8:

1 large green cabbage (Savoy or another cabbage is very good too)
1 lb meat
½ lb rice
2 onions
2 medium carrots (optional)
1 cup broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp any vegetable oil
5 tbsp tomato sauce (optional)
Greens, salt, and spices on taste

Method:
Grind the meat. Boil the rice until ready.
Cook shredded carrots and thinly cut onions in 1 tbsp oil (vegetables have to keep their color.) Cool rice and carrots with onion, mix them together with the meat in a large dish, add greens and spices, and mix well.
Bring 1 gallon water to boil in a large deep pan, and place the cabbage in the pan.
Boil for 2-3 minutes, cut and takeout the upper cabbage leaves, trying to keep them from braking.
Repeat until the cabbage leaves are too small to cover some filling. Cool the leaves.
Place a leaf on a board, place 1 tbsp of filling in place, where leaf stem is bold, wrap the filling with a leaf, then wrap with thread to keep “golubets” from braking.
Repeat while leafs and filling not finished.
Heat the skillet to medium with 1 tbsp vegetable oil;
Place “golubtsi” on the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side.
Pour ½ cup of water in a large pan, bring to boil, place the “golubtsi” in the pan, and pour sour cream, or mix of sour cream and tomato sauce over them.
Steam for about 45 minutes on the low heat, stirring sauce in pan. Cover upper “golubtsi” for even ready.

Serve with sauce from the pan and fresh bread.

A little bit about this dish:
An extremely convenient peculiarity of “golubtsi” is the flexibility of the recipe.
First, you can use any kind of cabbage, which is tender enough after short boiling to be the “envelope” for the filling. In southern regions of Russia, people used grape leaves (the dish is called “dolma”) or rhubarb’s tender leaves. Some people use whole sauerkraut leaves.

Second, you can use different fillings: mix different grain (optional,) different vegetables (optional,) and different meats (optional) .