Preparing cabbage for stuffed cabbage in the microwave will save you from unnecessary trouble and help you quickly remove the leaves from the head and soften them without damage.
Separating cabbage leaves from a hard cabbage fork is often an impossible task. How to quickly disassemble cabbage for cabbage rolls?
As a rule, we start looking for cabbage for cabbage rolls out of habit, in the market or in the supermarket, suitable in size, soft and loose, so that we can quickly disassemble the cabbage into cabbage rolls and not tear the cabbage leaves.
Then we try to properly boil the cabbage for cabbage rolls in a large amount of water, trying not to overcook or scald the cabbage leaves on the cabbage rolls, but the easiest way is to soften the cabbage in the microwave - quickly and damage.
Advice from the Miracle Chef. A cabbage head to soften the leaves can be placed directly on a glass plate in the microwave.
When boiled in water, young white cabbage softens so much that the leaves are torn even before the cabbage rolls are cooked, and in the microwave, preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls is an ideal way.
Ingredients
- fresh white cabbage with a whole fork - 1.5-2 kg;
- package (optional).
How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls
This simple and quick method allows you to remove the leaves from the cabbage without tearing or damage.
For later steps and convenience, the forks can be placed in a wide bowl or plastic bag.
- If the stalk is too long, then cut it off. We remove the upper damaged leaves until clean and whole appear. Throw away the ones we don't need, we don't need them.
- Then we make deep cuts around the stalk with a sharp knife in order to separate the leaves from the head. We deepen the knife as much as possible, and cut only the leaves at the base.
- After that, put the cabbage in the microwave at full power for 8-10 minutes.
- We take out the forks. Leaves that have become soft are separated from the stalk with a fork or knife. We remove as many leaves as the head of cabbage will give.
- Put the cabbage in the microwave again for 5-10 minutes. We repeat the previous operation. However, we take as many leaves as needed for the existing filling. You should not take the smallest leaves for cabbage rolls, because it will be difficult to wrap minced meat in them. The best use for the remaining cabbage is to use it when cooking borscht with beets (we get a waste-free “production”).
- After the required number of cabbage leaves is removed and prepared, we collect them together. Again, put in a bunch in the microwave at high power for about 5-7 minutes.
- I want to note that after the specified time, the cabbage leaves become almost transparent and completely soft. We cool them down.
- Then, carefully with a sharp knife, cut off the hard veins from each leaf of cabbage or beat them off with a culinary mallet for meat.
Everything, cabbage for stuffed cabbage is fully prepared and softened thanks to the efforts of the microwave.
Cabbage leaves after the microwave become so pliable that they are easily wrapped with any filling you choose in a given direction, and cabbage rolls turn out to be even and beautiful.
You can read about the methods of forming cabbage rolls in the recipes presented on the Miracle Cook website in the heading "".
Such a healthy, nutritious and tasty dish, like cabbage rolls, is undoubtedly one of the favorite dishes of the whole family. However, the preparation of this exquisite dish is a very time-consuming task. Therefore, resourceful housewives have learned to prepare cabbage to create cabbage rolls without using boiling water, softening it in the microwave.
Processing a whole head of cabbage rolls in the microwave
How to cook cabbage with a whole head of cabbage in the microwave? To begin with, you should pick up a good small head of cabbage, with a solid structure of the leaves and the absence of any damage and dark spots.
Young fruits are best for making cabbage rolls, as their leaves are soft and easy to process. After washing and cutting out the stalk, you can start cooking the vegetable in the microwave.
There is the following method for the main processing of a cabbage head:
Processed cabbage leaves, after removing large veins, are completely ready for the next step in the preparation of cabbage rolls.
Preparation of individual cabbage leaves
It should be mentioned once again that young cabbages are much better suited to heat treatment than fully mature cabbages. This is also important when softening individual leaves of a white vegetable crop.
How to prepare cabbage with separate leaves for cabbage rolls in the microwave? So, for leaf processing of early cabbage, you will need to carry out the following manipulations:
- The leaves must be separated from the cabbage head and placed in a heat-resistant bowl, sprinkling them with plain water;
- The container with the product is placed in the oven and heated at a high temperature for a couple of minutes;
- If necessary, you should re-bring the blanks to the desired state by placing them in the microwave.
It must be remembered that thick veins should be cut out only when the product is softened; otherwise, the leaves will fall apart and be unsuitable for preparing the main dish.
A more mature fruit with a dense structure will require deeper processing. In this case, the leaves should be placed in a bowl filled with water and boiled for 5-7 minutes at medium power in a microwave oven. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure to achieve the desired result.
The fastest way to process cabbage
Any housewife wants cabbage leaves to become supple as soon as possible and ready to work with minced meat. There is another recipe for quickly softening a vegetable - processing using a baking bag. So, how to make cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave in a bag very quickly:
- The prepared vegetable must be placed in a heat-resistant bag, making several holes in different places with a fork.
- In this form, the forks should be placed in a microwave oven and steamed at maximum power for 3 minutes.
- After removing from the oven, the vegetable should be immersed under a stream of cold water and begin to remove the leaves.
- If obstacles arise, the cabbage head must again be sent to the bag and microwaved until the desired result is achieved.
- The last step is to cut off the hard veins, thereby completing the preparation.
The leaves become translucent and absolutely soft, it will be easy and quick to wrap the filling in them, and the cabbage rolls themselves will look beautiful on a plate.
In addition to the microwave oven, there are also more traditional methods of softening the white queen of the fields. Among them are:
- steam processing (in a double boiler);
- boiling in a saucepan;
- baking in the oven;
- defrosting cabbage in the microwave (if the product was previously in the freezer).
Also, some housewives advise to quickly separate the leaves by simply pouring boiling water into the hole from the cut out stalk. So they scald and quickly fall apart. In addition, you can further soften the minced meat frame in the following ways:
- beat off with a hammer for meat;
- knead with hands after heat treatment;
- cool the leaves naturally, without lowering them into cold water after processing;
- additionally boil individual leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Whatever method the hostess of the kitchen chooses, any of them will “play” equally well in skillful hands.
Conclusion
Concluding the story about the preparation of cabbage for cabbage rolls, you should once again dwell on the key points that contribute to the good preparation of this dish:
- Before you start cooking, you should choose the right head of cabbage, which is suitable for cooking cabbage rolls.
- Choose the method of processing the leaves, which is more familiar and convenient for the hostess.
- Use the softened vegetable sheets for their intended purpose, enjoying the pleasant cooking process.
Calories: Not specified
Cooking time: Not indicated
Often, when preparing to make cabbage rolls, we carefully choose cabbage. Forks, in addition to a suitable size, must be soft, loose. In such a cabbage, it is easier to remove the leaves. But still, the process is not very short: we cut the stalk, put the cabbage in a saucepan in boiling water for several minutes (the time depends on the type of cabbage), then take it out of the water, carefully (hot!) Remove a few leaves and repeat this until all leaves are not removed. But with young cabbage you have to be very careful in general - it breaks so quickly that it becomes problematic to stuff the leaf with minced meat.
If you use a microwave oven to disassemble cabbage into leaves, the process will turn out to be a pleasure. It doesn't take your time or your energy. Watch how cabbage is made for cabbage rolls in the microwave to soften and cook a delicious dish. If you have a catastrophic lack of time for cooking, this one will help you.
- cabbage;
- sleeve for baking.
How to cook with a photo step by step
We select a cabbage that is not very large - it will quickly and evenly warm up in the microwave. We remove the upper, unusable leaves. As a rule, they are bright green in color, often flabby, dirty and spoiled.
Then, with a sharp knife, we carefully cut out a part of the stump - we go deeper by 2-3 cm. We also cut the leaves at the base to make them easier to remove. 
We place a head of cabbage in a baking sleeve and tightly tie the ends (or fasten with a screed). You can also place a head of cabbage in a tight plastic bag of a suitable size (only necessarily intended for food).
Place the bag of cabbage in the microwave. Turn on full power. Cabbage weighing 1 kg is kept for 12 minutes (with an oven power of 700 watts), for cabbage weighing 600 - 700 g, 5-6 minutes are enough.
If the cabbage is small (600 - 700 g), it will have time to fully cook. Carefully, so as not to burn yourself, untie the bag, take out the cabbage and let it cool for 5-7 minutes, and then carefully separate all the leaves in turn and lay them out on a plate so that they cool.
All cabbage leaves will be equally soft, elastic, will retain a greenish color, and will not tear (even if it is a young cabbage).
If the cabbage weighing about 1.5 kg or more, part of the inner leaves will not have time to steam, therefore, having removed the soft leaves, the remaining head is placed in the same sleeve for another 2-5 minutes. Then cool and remove the remaining leaves in the same way. Pay attention to this one.
The exposure time in the microwave oven depends on the variety and density of cabbage, the power of the oven. Having prepared cabbage for cabbage rolls a couple of times in this way, you will clearly understand how long a kilogram head of cabbage should be kept in the oven.
If you do not want to wait until the head of cabbage cools down a bit, you can put it in cold water for 3-4 minutes, and then transfer it to a colander to drain excess water.
It turned out soft, neat, whole cabbage leaves. It remains only to cut off the dense veins and you can begin to form cabbage rolls.
Almost everyone loves homemade cabbage rolls, but most housewives cook them infrequently. The reason often lies in the difficulty of preparing cabbage. After all, it is necessary to make cabbage leaves soft and flexible, while not damaging their structure, separating them from the head. To do this, you have to boil the head of cabbage, constantly checking with a knife how easily the leaves are separated, and remove them, at the risk of getting burned. However, this method of preparing cabbage is already outdated, and if you have a microwave oven at home, you can cope with the task faster and easier. Cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave is easy to prepare, even for inexperienced chefs, this is not difficult.
Cooking features
The process of preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls using a microwave is so simple that it does not require any culinary skills. But still, knowing a few subtleties does not hurt.
- For cabbage rolls, it is better to choose young flattened cabbage - these varieties have more flexible and soft leaves.
- In order for the leaves to separate well after processing the head of cabbage in the microwave, several deep cuts around the stalk must be made before placing it in the microwave oven.
- It will be easier to separate the leaves if you place the head of cabbage under a stream of cool water.
- If the cabbage is young and the leaves are easily separated from the head, you can cook the leaves in the microwave. It will take less time than processing a whole head of cabbage.
- If the head of cabbage is placed in a bag, then the leaves will soften a little faster. This method is worth choosing if you want to save time.
Preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave with a whole head or leaves, in or without a bag, varies slightly.
How to cook cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls
- heads of young cabbage - 1.5–2 kg in total;
- water - 0.2–0.3 l.
Cooking method:
- Wash the cabbage well.
- Carefully disassemble the head of cabbage into leaves, trying not to break their integrity.
- Moisten the leaves with water.
- Place a few leaves on a microwave safe plate.
- Turn on the microwave at full power. Set a timer for 3 minutes.
- Remove the plate, remove the leaves from it. Put in a new batch and process in the same way.
Continue to process the cabbage in this way until the desired number of leaves is typed. Remember that this method is only suitable for young cabbage of early varieties - it will be problematic to separate the leaves from the stalk from a large head of autumn varieties without damaging them.
Cooking cabbage in the microwave
- white cabbage - 1.5–2 kg.
Cooking method:
- Wash the cabbage well. It is important that its dimensions are suitable so that it can be put in a microwave oven.
- Remove the upper leaves - they are usually sluggish, spoiled by insects.
- Cut the stalk as deep as possible, make several deep cuts around it.
- Place a flat dish in the microwave. Some do without it, but washing the dish is easier than a microwave stand, so it is advisable to still use it.
- Put a head of cabbage on a dish so that the place where the stalk was was at the bottom.
- Turn on the microwave for 10 minutes, choosing the maximum power.
- Carefully, so as not to burn yourself, remove the head of cabbage and place it in a clean sink. Cool under running water.
- Carefully separate, if necessary, helping yourself with a knife, the upper leaves.
- When you notice that the remaining leaves are tightly attached to the head and you risk tearing them by peeling them off, place the head in the microwave again. This time, the microwave oven is enough to turn on for 5 minutes.
- Cool the head again and continue to remove the cabbage leaves.
You need to repeat the five-minute processing of the head of cabbage in the microwave until you almost completely disassemble it into leaves. After that, dense veins will have to be cut out or beaten off with a culinary hammer, since they remain rigid even after processing in the microwave, which makes it impossible to form cabbage rolls.
Cabbage for cabbage rolls in a bag
- head of cabbage - 1–1.5 kg.
Cooking method:
- Wash the head of cabbage, remove sluggish leaves. Make deep cuts around the stalk.
- Place the head of cabbage in a bag or in a roasting sleeve (the latter option is preferable). Poke a few holes with a toothpick to let the steam escape.
- Put the bag of cabbage in the microwave, turn it on for 3 minutes, setting the maximum power.
- Remove, cool under running water and remove the top leaves. Repeat the procedure several times until the desired number of leaves is reached.
Using the same technology, it is advisable to cook Chinese cabbage for cabbage rolls. This will take less time: 2 minutes. In addition, a single treatment should be enough to soften it.
Cooking cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave is quick and safe. Knowing this method, you will pamper your loved ones with cabbage rolls much more often.
Who doesn’t know the feeling when you really want cabbage rolls or your family demands them, but you don’t feel like cooking because of the hassle with cabbage leaves. Of course, it’s a hassle: gently tear off the leaves, put them in boiling water, make sure not to overcook, but you can’t overcook either, take out and put in new ones, steam, drops of boiling water - in general, it’s not pleasant enough.
That's what I like the microwave oven for - that it is most welcome at such moments. With her, all this suffering is not needed. Everything is easy and simple. And at least every day pamper your family with delicious, beautiful, quickly and without much trouble cooked cabbage rolls. The secret of how cabbage is made in the microwave for cabbage rolls is no longer a secret, but not many people know and use it. But in vain.
How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave
Pick a good head. The best fit is not very large, up to two kilograms, flattened (although a round one will do).
Cut off the stalk to the very base. Remove the top, unusable leaves.
Make notches around the stalk to make it easy to remove the leaves.
Now let's put the head of cabbage in the microwave oven. You can directly on the plate of the oven, you can in a bowl suitable for MVP. We set the full power and 8-10 minutes.
We take it out and ... either just carefully tear off the leaves as much as they come off, or (especially if they put them in a bowl) put them under cold water and tear off the leaves as much as they come off.
As soon as the cabbage leaves began to separate poorly, we repeat the procedure: we make notches, put in the microwave, then separate and so on until the entire head of cabbage is disassembled.
If it seems to you that the separated leaves are not soft enough, fold them one on one and put the stack in the microwave for about five minutes - they will become transparent and very soft.
The hard parts of the leaves can be cut off or beaten off with a hammer (the one that beats the meat).
Everything, the preparation of cabbage for cabbage rolls is over! Further left. Ahhh, still get sour cream and call everyone to the table.
Well, or look at what was said here
