Reviewed: Sep. 28, 2009

This recipe is excellent. I was looking for a recipe like the one my Polish aunt makes, and this one looked just right. I boiled my cabbage leaves in salted water with vinegar added, as some posters suggested. The recipe came together easily - the only time consuming part was getting out my meat grinder for the ham. I will definitely be making these again!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Ruth

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Milton, Wisconsin, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 6, 2009

This is the most delicious meal. My mom makes it for christmas every year and I request it for my birthday every year.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Stephanie

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Mar. 28, 2009

My Grame made Sarma on a regular basis. She was born in Chabar (now Yugoslavia) & is Croatian. She has been gone for quite some time but her recipe's live long and prosper. She did not freeze the kraut or cabbage and only used ground beff. Always used fresh garlic, onion and bell pepper and also lined the cook pot with pork spare ribs. All ingredients with the exception of the rolls cooked for at least 2 hours to marry the flavors before adding the rolls. If she did not make fresh kraut she always thoroughly rinsed it so it would not overpower the dish. It was served best with either mashed potatoes or corn meal mush (Polenta). Jane (Evanca)

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Jane

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Mar. 23, 2009

This was not bad but the sour-kraut over powered the dish for us. I don't like rice with my ground beef so I used orzo, the filling was great.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Teresa

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2008

I love Sarma. This recipe is pretty good, my mother in law uses barley instead of rice. Just a note the poster who said that this is mostly made in Romania is wrong. Sarma is made in Croatia, Bosnia and pretty much all of the former Yugoslavia. I'm sure Romania has their own version or at least it has a different name than "our" sarma. :)

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Robin83

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2008

Great recipe!! As suggested, I parboiled the cabbage head with a bit of vinegar instead of freezing. I sauteed the onion with fresh minced garlic before adding to ground beef/pork mixture and also added vegeta seasoning. They turned out perfectly, my husband and I could not stop eating them!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
12 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Kim

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Dacula, Georgia, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jun. 8, 2007

Elderly neighbors and best friend loved it and requested more! Changes: followed other reviews' advice and parboiled the cabbage rather than freezing it. I only used ground beef, a little ham, & onion powder. Next time I will triple the tomato juice because it dries out in the oven (left it in the oven because I was working in the yard). I fried some bacon, chopped onions and sprinkled a little brown sugar on it; then mixed it into the meat and rice mixture. Thanks Bea and other reviewers for generous advice.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

CARBFUL

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Apr. 25, 2007

This was a fantastic recipe. I cooked it for my husband and he was over the moon - even said it was better than his mums!! I just added some rashers of bacon laid on the top of each roll while they were cooking. Thanks!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Claire M

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2006

Usually for sarma you use a sour cabbage but since I didn't have one I added about 4 tbsp of vinegar to the water that I blanched the cabbage in. I also added chopped bacon to this recipe. I fried the onion and bacon together and then added to the other ingredients. Absolutely love these. I also did these in the oven instead of stove top. they turned out really well. thanks

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
16 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LITTLECHILE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Living In: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jun. 23, 2006

I love this stuff.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

David

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jun. 24, 2005

I add Vegeta and sometimes use grape leaves instead of cabbage when cabbage isn't in season. Instead of garlic powder, I use real garlic. Then I slice tomatoes to place on each layer and not use the tomato juice.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

WENDIGOWILD

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 14, 2003

This sarma is called sarmale,and it is made mostly in Romania.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

ENIKO

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: May 30, 2003

My husband liked this better than I did...but then his Mom used to make cabbage rolls. Because there are only the two of us to feed, I always cut back recipes. For this reason, I left out the rice, and mixed together 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 of a polish sausage and added the seasonings as given in recipe. I have to say it looked and tasted like an old-world recipe! Thx Bea...

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

XMASRED

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Port Angeles, Washington, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jan. 22, 2003

This ethnic recipe is awesome! I just used ground beef and put ham hocks in the slow cooker! I didn't add the tomato! The key thing is to improvise! But, the slow cooker is a miracle!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

MIKALISA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jan. 3, 2002

Great eastern european sarma recipe!! Thank you. I changed it a bit by leaving out the ham and adding a kilbasa to the pot as it cooked. Came out wonderful.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
14 users found this review helpful