Lazy cabbage rolls with a secret ingredient: they are very juicy

If you don't have enough time to cook classic cabbage rolls, you can make a lazy version. This dish is based on minced meat and rice, so the mass holds its shape perfectly. But to make the cabbage rolls juicy and satisfying, you should add another simple seasonal ingredient – zucchini.

The idea of cooking lazy cabbage rolls with zucchini was published on the Instagram page of food blogger Nadezhda with the nickname malvalanda.

Ingredients:

• rice (raw) - 125 g
• water - 250 g
• minced chicken - 600 g
• young zucchini - 500 g
• onion - 1 pc
• carrot - 1 pc
• tomato puree - 400 g
• sour cream - 200 g
• fresh herbs (dill, parsley, green onions, carrot greens) - a bunch
• spices (salt, black pepper, hot pepper, dried garlic) - to taste
• vegetable oil or melted butter

Method of preparation:

1. Rinse the rice well, cover it with water (1:2), and cook it under the lid for 5 minutes after boiling, turn off the heat and leave it to infuse for 15 minutes to make it tender.

2. Meanwhile, grate the zucchini on a coarse grater, add salt, mix, and leave for 10-15 minutes to let the juice run out. Then completely squeeze the zucchini from the liquid.

3. Finely chop the onion and fry until golden brown.

4. In a large bowl, mix the cold rice, minced meat, squeezed zucchini, finely grated carrots, fried onions, chopped herbs and spices.

5. Shape the lazy cabbage rolls into oval or round shapes and place them tightly together in a single layer in a greased baking dish. You will need one large or two medium-sized molds.

6. Make the sauce: mix tomato puree and sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.

7. Pour the sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls.

8. Cover the cabbage rolls with a lid or foil and put in the oven at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

9. 15 minutes before the end of cooking, carefully turn the cabbage rolls over so that they are evenly soaked in the sauce.