HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
Sunday night again, and after having pot roast twice last week, decided that tonight I was going to do something a little different. So I made Sarmi (also called Sodmay), which is basically Gypsy cabbage rolls. This is one of the most traditional Romani dishes. It’s called by a few different names, depending on where one is from. There is a fair bit of work goes into making sarmi, but oh boy is it ever worth it. It’s a full meal in one pot and very healthy too.
OK, so here is the recipe…
Sarmi (Sodmay)
1 cup TVP crumbles
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 TBSP Tamari
1 tsp Vegeta vegetable bouillon
1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 cup rice
Enough water to just cover the rice with maybe 1/2 inch over
1 tsp ground chia seeds
2 TBSP water
6 large cabbage leaves
8 cups boiling water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato puree
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups baby carrots, diced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloved garlic, diced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water from cabbage leaves
Salt (to taste)
1. Place TVP crumbles, vegetable bouillon, chili flakes, garlic and onion powder into a bowl and mix well. Into the boiling water, add the tamari and mix well. Add the boiling water and mix very well together and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. While the TVP is hydrating, wash and drain the rice, add to a microwave safe bowl and add the water. Par-cook in microwave for 5 minutes. When cooked, and the TVP is hydrated, add the rice to the TVP, mix and set aside.
3. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and submerge until the leaves are well wilted. Remove from boiling water, drain, and place on a plate.
4. Mix the ground chia seeds with 2 TBSP of the water from the cabbage and mix until resembles runny egg whites. Add this to the TVP rice mixture and mix in really well – this helps to bind everything like egg does.
5. Lay a cabbage leaf out and place 3-4 tablespoons of the TVP rice mixture on one side of the stalk (amount will depend on how big your leaves are). Fold the outsides of the leaves over the rice and then begin rolling the leaves to make the cabbage rolls. Place each sarmi onto a clean plate. Repeat until all leaves are rolled (you can use more than 6 leaves depending on how many you are feeding, then you can also increase the amount of the ingredients to suffice).
6. When all the sarmi are rolled, in a separate large bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce; the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, red pepper, carrots, onions, garlic, dill, vegetable oil, water from the cabbage leaves and salt. Mix together very well.
7. In the bottom of the crockpot, place about 1/4 of the sauce and spread over the bottom of the pot. Gently place all the sarmi into the pot, then cover with the remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the rice and the cabbage is cooked through.
This recipe will serve 6 when they have one individual sarmi, but it can also feed 3 or two (depending on how hungry you are) – or you have left overs. 🙂
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Today was really hot and we were all suffering – Winston the most. He kept on asking me to please turn on the air-con, but with as much
as I was using the microwave, I had to turn the air con off and have all the windows open for a bit of a breeze – which didn’t reach down to the floor where he was at. Discovered yesterday that I can’t have the microwave going at the same time as the air con, floor fan, and TV – for some reason, it’s started to blow out the power and we have to flip the breaker switch. This is a new development – tonight, my microwave hasn’t worked at all – not sure if the extension cord I’ve used has blown, or the outlet taken a crapper. So once the sarmi was in the cooker and cooking away, I closed all the windows and put on the air con and Winston placed himself right in front of the bathroom door right under the back vent of the air con – this mama didn’t raise no dinlo. 😉
Ezmi decided that she wanted to sleep in Winston’s bed while he slept on the floor next to his bed… He’s such a good brother to let her do that – those two are the best of friends. When we brought Ezmi home, the tiny little girl she was, he was the first of the kids that we introduced her too. One hiss from her to let him know she was in charge and they were in love.
Nari is starting to get more settled over the past few days and has been venturing 
out more during the daylight hours. Today she discovered that there is a window over the sink and had a good skizz out the window. Excuse the dishes that are drying in the sink.
I’ve finally taken all the girls harnesses off too. They’re comfortable enough in here to not worry about them running off, and they’re scared enough of the front door opening to worry about the same thing happening. So they’re happier campers – although Nari and Ezmi did seem a bit put out that they were now having this weird contraption that they took days to get used to, taken off. I feel the same about my bras… well, more relief than being put out…
And tomorrow is the start of a new work-week. Still trying to figure how to attract clients for readings while living way out here in the bush, without a phone and only in person, or via Skype. But that said, if you’re interested, I am available for readings via Skype – $1 a minute with 15 minute minimum. Let me know if you’re interested. We gotta start making some money to get this vardo fixed up so we can move on to the next location. 🙂
Bouncin' Around 