How to make
Start with the stuffing for the sarma by chopping the onion and frying it in the heated oil. Grate the peeled carrots on a fine grater. Stew everything with a pinch of salt for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomato puree and a teaspoon of sugar to neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
Add the rice, pre-washed in a few waters to remove the starch. Fry it briefly and pour 1 cup of water. You will see that the rice will absorb it immediately, so be prepared to pour a second cup immediately. When it is absorbed, remove it from the heat and season it with black pepper and ground savory herb - it gives off the authentic aroma of sarma.
This is our stuffing, it is lean, but it can always be enriched with minced meat, bacon, mushrooms or whatever you like. I personally like them only with rice.
Prepare the sauerkreaut leaves by unfolding them and cutting out the hard vein in the middle and this way each leaf will be halved. Remove any torn or shapeless sauerkraut leaves. With some of them and some of the cobs cover the bottom of the greased pot.
Fold the sarma, by placing a spoonful of the stuffing on each half of the leaf or as much as the size of the leaf allows. Wrap them tightly and push the edges in with your finger. This way they are sealed and the filling will not come out. This is the easiest way to wrap sarma.
Arrange them tightly next to each other in the pot on the leaves. My pot is 28-30 cm in diameter and the sarma are in one layer, tightly arranged. If you're making a double dose, it is no problem to have two or more layers.
Cover them with the remaining leaves and cut outs. Pour equal amounts of water and sauerkraut broth, so that it almost covers the products.
If you do not have sauerkraut broth, from which you took out the sauerkraut (I know it is also sold vacuum-packed, without juice), then it is not a problem to add only water and to avoid losing the acidity of the sauerkraut, you can squeeze lemon juice into the liquid.
Press the sarma with a plate on top, which is turned upside down and put on a moderate to low heat for 1 hour and a half, by periodically making sure that it does not run out of liquid and that the bottom burns. You should not cover them too much.
We will bake the finished boiled sarma with a delicious topping, although they can be consumed this way. To do this, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the sour cream and mix until a smooth mixture is obtained.
Remove the top layer of sauerkraut leaves from the pot and place them in a baking pan. Arrange the prepared sarma tightly on top and pour the topping.
Bake them for a short time - 5-6 minutes in an oven preheated to 390°F (200 degrees). Do not bake them any longer, so that the sarma do not dry out.
Serve them hot or cold with a spoon or two of sour cream in each portion.
Good luck and enjoy!
