How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave? Culinary secrets

Softening cabbage in the microwave

The method for softening cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave is much simpler than the standard method with boiling water.
If you have a microwave oven, there is no need to specifically select soft varieties, heat a large container of water and try to wait the right time so that the leaves do not get scalded. A head of cabbage weighing 1.5-2 kg is suitable for preparing cabbage rolls. It can be placed directly in the oven or wrapped in cling film.

Before you cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, you need to peel it. The stalk can be shortened, and the upper leaves removed until they appear clean and undamaged. The leftovers can be thrown away - they will not be needed for cabbage rolls.
At the base of the cabbage stalk, make cuts with a long knife, separating the leaves. There is no need to disassemble the head of cabbage yet - the cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls will soften in the microwave and will be easy to separate. The knife is deepened as much as possible, trying not to damage the cabbage.
The head of cabbage is placed in the oven for 8-10 minutes and turned on at maximum power. It can be additionally wrapped in a plastic bag or cling film - the leaves will lose less moisture when processed at high temperatures.
How many minutes it will take to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave depends on its size and the number of leaves. After 8-10 minutes, the head of cabbage is taken out of the oven and the surface leaves, which have managed to soften, are separated from it. Those that hold firmly to the stalk are left.
Read also: Simple recipes for winter lecho with tomato paste made from bell peppers and carrots
Next, the head of cabbage should be placed back in the microwave for 5-8 minutes. After this, it will be possible to remove the next layer of leaves, which will soften under the influence of high temperature. It is not recommended to remove all the leaves - the smallest of them are not suitable for cabbage rolls. You can leave them and add them to another dish (cook borscht or stewed cabbage).
Hard veins may remain on the leaves. They can be carefully cut with a knife, holding it parallel to the table surface. It is important not to damage the integrity of the sheet, otherwise such a cabbage roll will fall apart.

Preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave is much easier than in a pan of boiling water. The leaves soften, but remain strong and elastic. Their flavor will be felt in the finished dish, but it will not interrupt the taste of the minced meat. In addition, this method of preparing cabbage significantly saves time. While the cabbage is simmering in the microwave, you can quickly stuff the first leaves with minced meat. Look: stewed cabbage with potatoes and meat!

The easiest way is to place the cabbage in the microwave for 10 minutes without covering it with anything. However, many housewives prefer to use a baking sleeve or wrap the head of cabbage in a plastic bag or cling film. Thus, the moisture does not evaporate, but remains in the leaves. They bake more evenly and become soft even in the center.

A head of cabbage in a sleeve or film can also be cooked in several stages, but it is easier to place it for 10-15 minutes at a lower temperature. After that, it is dipped in cold water in foil, and when it cools down a little, they begin to parse the leaves. All veins are removed with a sharp knife so that they do not spoil the taste of the finished dish. However, instead, the leaves can be carefully beaten with a hammer, but it is important not to damage them.

The method of cutting a head of cabbage described below can be recommended for all subsequent recipes. It is also suitable for cabbage rolls cooked over an open fire or in the oven. Take note, it's very convenient!

Ingredients:

medium-sized forks of white cabbage;
round grain rice – half a glass;
onion - one, large;
400 grams of minced pork;
tomato paste - one spoon;
an incomplete glass of sour cream;
oil, lean - 40 milliliters;
salt, fine and a mixture of peppers.

Step-by-step recipe for classic cabbage rolls in the microwave

We will dissolve the cabbage into separate sheets using a microwave oven. Remove two or three outer, thickest cabbages, wipe them with a damp cloth and place them stalk-side down on the rotating rack of the microwave. Turn on the device at maximum power, set the timer for eight minutes. When the countdown ends, quickly move the cabbage under running water and check the degree of softening by squeezing the cabbage with your hands.

If the fork is tight enough and does not shrink in your hands, wipe it from moisture and return it to the microwave for another 4-5 minutes, then remove it again and repeat rinsing. We disassemble the soft head of cabbage into sheets simply by hand, there is no need to cut anything. Cut off the central vein from the thickest ones, just as you would do with steamed leaves.

Pour the rice into a colander, place it in a deep bowl and place it under running water. Peel the onion, break it into small pieces and brown them in a frying pan with butter. Bring a two-liter saucepan filled with water to a boil, add a small spoonful of salt and pour in the rice. Boil the cereal for about ten minutes, not until cooked, rinse and place together with the onion in a bowl with minced meat.

Add salt and pepper to the filling, mix and put in the refrigerator for a while. Dilute sour cream, a couple of pinches of salt, and a tomato with a glass of heated water - this will be gravy.

We stuff the cabbage rolls and wrap them in the standard way. Pour three spoons of sauce into a glass dish for cooking in a microwave oven and moisten the walls with it. Lay out the cabbage rolls in layers, turning each subsequent one perpendicularly. Pour all the sauce over the dish, be sure to cover with a lid and cook for twenty-five minutes at maximum power.

Preparing the products, shaping the cabbage rolls, and even their preparation - everything in this recipe is selected according to the principle of minimalism. The only thing the dish has in abundance is aroma and taste. The cabbage rolls turn out tender and the kids really like them. If you rely primarily on young eaters, do not put a lot of spices and salt in the minced meat.

Ingredients:

one kilogram of white cabbage, or part of a fork of the same weight;
half a kilo of prepared minced chicken;
a glass of round rice;
two onions and a medium-sized carrot;
two tablespoons each of sour cream and tomato;
spices, salt and herbs.

How to quickly cook cabbage rolls in the microwave

This recipe does not require rinsing the rice; fill it with a glass of water in a saucepan with a multi-layer bottom or a thick-walled pot. Place on low heat and, checking occasionally, cook until the liquid boils away. Place in a colander and simply let the moisture drain and cool the porridge.

Cut the cabbage into slices, allowing you to easily grind them in a meat grinder. First twist the cabbage, then pass the minced meat and finish with slices of peeled onion. Cut the peel off the carrots and grate with large but short shavings. This is easy to do if you hold the root vegetable perpendicular to the grater.

We combine the ingredients crushed at the previous stage with rice, salt, and add spices. If you wish, you can add a handful of finely chopped herbs. Mix the mixture thoroughly and with wet hands form small, slightly elongated cutlets.

Place the cabbage rolls in a single layer in a special bowl for microwave ovens, dilute the sour cream with water and mix with tomatoes, add chopped herbs to the gravy. Pour the mixture generously over the cabbage rolls and bake them covered for twenty minutes. Set the microwave power control to maximum, do not turn on any additional options such as a grill.

These cabbage rolls, despite their apparent simplicity, are the most complex in the selection. Follow all the details of the recipe, but be prepared to increase the cooking time by eye. Don't forget to remove the skewers from the cabbage rolls before serving.

Ingredients:

“Hercules” flakes – 100 grams;
a head of white cabbage;
onions – 200 grams;
two large tomatoes;
large rice – 150 grams;
one and a half glasses of vegetable broth;
fresh egg;
salt, parsley, half a spoon of paprika.

How to cook

Remove ten of the largest leaves from the cabbage fork, cutting at the base. Cut the remaining part into large pieces, peel and cut two onions and carrots into several pieces, boil on the stove in two liters of brackish water for forty minutes. Remove the vegetables, strain the broth, and let it cool. This will be the vegetable broth for our dish.

Place the reserved leaves in a flat microwave oven dish, pour in the cooled broth, and blanch at maximum power for up to four minutes. Scald the tomatoes, remove the skin and cut them finely, cook the rice until half cooked on the stove. Peel the onion, cut into half rings and soak in boiling water for three minutes, then rinse with water, dry and chop into smaller pieces.

Mix oatmeal, rice, tomatoes and onions, pour in beaten egg and season with paprika and salt. Mix thoroughly and stuff the cabbage rolls, roll them tightly and additionally secure them with wooden toothpicks.

Place the cabbage rolls in any microwave-safe container, fill with broth and cover. Cook for five minutes on high and turn over. We warm it up for the same amount of time and leave it to brew for ten minutes.

The sauce for pouring can be prepared a little differently. Increase the number of tomatoes threefold, and also rub them through a large sieve, removing seeds and skin. Separately, grate two large onions with a fine grater. Heat a frying pan on the stove, pour in five tablespoons of aromatic oil, and let it heat up. Quickly sauté the onion until it darkens, add the tomato and cook over medium heat until thickened.

Ingredients:

exactly 350 grams of cabbage and high-quality minced meat;
large onion;
a glass of 20 percent sour cream;
ripe medium-sized tomato;
one large egg;
two cloves of garlic and a spoon of mild spices.

Step by step recipe

Chop the cabbage leaves and chop them a little finer. Add salt and knead with your hands to reduce the volume they occupy.

heads of young cabbage - 1.5–2 kg in total;
water – 0.2–0.3 l.

Wash the cabbage well.
Carefully disassemble the head of cabbage into leaves, being careful not to disturb their integrity.
Wet the leaves with water.
Place a few leaves on a microwave-safe plate.
Turn the microwave on full power. Set the timer for 3 minutes.
Take out the plate and remove the leaves from it. Place a new batch and process in the same way.

white cabbage – 1.5–2 kg.

Wash the cabbage well. It is important that it is sized to fit in the microwave.
Remove the top leaves - they are usually limp and spoiled by insects.
Cut the stalk as deep as possible, making several deep cuts around it.
Place a flat dish in the microwave. Some people can do without it, but it’s easier to wash a dish than a microwave stand, so it’s still advisable to use it.
Place the head of cabbage on the dish so that the place where the stalk was was located at the bottom.
Turn on the microwave for 10 minutes, selecting maximum power.
Careful not to burn yourself, remove the cabbage and place it in a clean sink. Cool under running water.
Carefully separate the top leaves, using a knife if necessary.
When you notice that the remaining leaves are tightly attached to the head of cabbage and you risk tearing them by separating them, place the head of cabbage in the microwave again. This time it is enough to turn on the microwave oven for 5 minutes.
Cool the head again and continue removing the cabbage leaves.

Cooking cabbage in the microwave

Compound:

white cabbage – 1.5–2 kg.

Cooking method:

Wash the cabbage well. It is important that it is sized to fit in the microwave.
Remove the top leaves - they are usually limp and spoiled by insects.
Cut the stalk as deep as possible, making several deep cuts around it.
Place a flat dish in the microwave. Some people can do without it, but it’s easier to wash a dish than a microwave stand, so it’s still advisable to use it.
Place the head of cabbage on the dish so that the place where the stalk was was located at the bottom.
Turn on the microwave for 10 minutes, selecting maximum power.
Careful not to burn yourself, remove the cabbage and place it in a clean sink. Cool under running water.
Carefully separate the top leaves, using a knife if necessary.
When you notice that the remaining leaves are tightly attached to the head of cabbage and you risk tearing them by separating them, place the head of cabbage in the microwave again. This time it is enough to turn on the microwave oven for 5 minutes.
Cool the head again and continue removing the cabbage leaves.

How to choose the right cabbage?

the head of cabbage should not have a round, but an elongated shape - the leaves come off much easier from such cabbage;
the cabbage should have large leaves - if they are small, it will be difficult to wrap the minced meat in them, and the cooking process will take a long time;
leaves should be light (white with a greenish tint), without black spots, tears or damage, signs of fungus or mold;
individual leaves must be dense, thick and elastic, otherwise they will quickly tear and the filling will no longer be able to be wrapped in them;
wilting cabbage is not good - you can stew it with meat, and buy another head of cabbage for cabbage rolls.

First you need to freeze a whole head of cabbage, and then remove it from the freezer and defrost it at room temperature. However, after processing, cabbage can only be used for making cabbage rolls and cannot be stored even frozen.

Preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave to soften is the easiest way. Even a novice housewife can cope with preparing a dish according to this recipe. The leaves are soft and elastic, hold their shape well and do not allow the cabbage rolls to fall apart.

Stuffed cabbage rolls are a traditional dish of Eastern European cuisine, which is familiar to both children and adults. It is believed that preparing cabbage rolls is quite difficult, and all because you need to prepare cabbage leaves in a special way. However, given the presence of a microwave, everything can be simplified as much as possible.

How to soften with individual leaves?

Many people love cabbage rolls, but don’t want to cook them. After all, it’s quite a problem to find a huge pan in which a head of cabbage will fit. Then there is a high probability of getting burned when taking it out of the water several times. Therefore, a microwave is suitable for a safe and quick method.

Before preparing cabbage rolls, you need to soften the cabbage.

So, to soften cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, you need:

Remove damaged leaves from the head of cabbage.
Take a sharp knife, cut the stalk, separate the leaves.
Sprinkle a heat-resistant dish with plain water and place cabbage leaves.
Place in the microwave.
Warm up at maximum temperature for a couple of minutes.
Check the condition of the sheets. If they are too harsh, put them on for the same amount of time.
When the vegetable is completely softened, trim off the thick veins.

Cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, separate leaves

Ingredients:

White cabbage - 1.5-2 kg.
Water - 1-1.5 tbsp.

Cooking process:

Take young cabbage with thin elastic leaves and remove the top layer of leaves. Dirty, wrinkled and torn leaves go into the trash bin.
Using a sharp knife, make deep cuts around the stalk - this will make it easier to remove the leaves. Carefully separate the leaves from the stalk and rinse them in cool running water.
Divide all the leaves into equal portions that will fit well on a microwave-safe dish and set the microwave to high power. Place the first portion of leaves on a dish and place it in the oven.
Set the microwave timer to 3 minutes and turn on the appliance. If the portion of leaves turned out as desired, continue to soften the leaves in portions, remembering to moisten them with water before putting them in the microwave.
When all the leaves are ready, remove the tops of the tough veins with a sharp knife and begin preparing semi-finished cabbage rolls. Good culinary success to you!

Place whole leaves of the correct shape on a plate and place in the microwave oven for 5-7 minutes. As a result of this processing, you will receive white, almost transparent soft blanks for cabbage rolls. The thickenings on them can be trimmed with a sharp knife or gently beaten with a wooden mallet. This would be the best method, but the tight, raw forks of the late white cabbage beauty are difficult to take apart. Any doubts? Don't take risks, try warming it up entirely.

Cabbage for cabbage rolls in a bag

As you know, cabbage rolls can also be prepared from Chinese cabbage. However, pekinka leaves also need to be processed, and the microwave greatly simplifies this process.

Ingredients:

Head of Chinese cabbage - 1 pc.
Water

Buy a head of Chinese cabbage, fresh and having a beautiful light green color. Carefully separate the leaves - this is not at all difficult, unlike regular white cabbage.
Rinse the cabbage leaves under running water and trim off all the white bottom of each leaf. Take a large microwave-safe dish and place a small portion of Chinese cabbage leaves in it.
Place the cabbage dish in the microwave, set to the highest power setting and cook the cabbage leaves for five minutes. During this time, they will become soft and elastic enough to form cabbage rolls.
Do the same with the rest of the Chinese cabbage leaves, warming them in small portions, then trim off the tops of the thick veins that are on the leaves.
While the next portion of leaves is being prepared, you can wrap the filling in the previous portion. Very convenient and a great time saver!

Chinese cabbage can be prepared to form cabbage rolls using a regular bag and a microwave oven. The leaves will be elastic and pliable, and such preparation will take very little time.

Ingredients:

Beijing cabbage - 1 head
Capacious package - 1 pc.

Select a beautiful head of cabbage. The leaves should be a delicate light green color and not limp at the edges.
Pack the whole cabbage into a bag and tie it tightly. You can take a regular cellophane food bag. You need to tie the bag to create a steam bath inside the bag, so the leaves will cook better.
Place the bag of Chinese cabbage in the microwave on a baking dish and turn on the timer for 7-10 minutes at maximum power of the device.
When the timer goes off, remove the cabbage from the microwave, carefully remove the bag and run the cabbage under cold running water.
Begin to carefully remove the leaves, then cut off the white lower part and cut off the seals around the leaves with a small knife. If the cabbage is not fully cooked, then put the remaining cabbage in the microwave for a couple more minutes, tying the head of cabbage in the bag in the same way.

Wash the cabbage and remove the wilted leaves. Make deep cuts around the stalk.
Place the head of cabbage in a bag or in a baking sleeve (the latter option is preferable). Use a toothpick to make several holes to allow steam to escape.
Place the bag of cabbage in the microwave and turn it on for 3 minutes at maximum power.
Remove, cool under running water and remove the top leaves. Repeat the procedure several times until the required number of leaves is collected.

Using the same technology, it is advisable to prepare 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.

To microwave a whole head of cabbage, you will need a large dish on which to place the head of cabbage. However, many do without it. Immediately placing the cabbage on the microwave disk.

Let us describe the sequence of actions when preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave step by step:

Wash the cabbage, remove the top leaves - they are usually limp, torn, and are not suitable for cabbage rolls.
Make deep cuts around the stalk (you can even cut it out completely).
Place the head of cabbage, stalk side down, on a large plate or directly in the microwave.
Microwave for 10 minutes at maximum power.
Carefully remove the cabbage from the microwave and place it in the sink under cold running water.
Separate the top leaves. When they no longer separate easily, repeat the procedure by heating the cabbage in the microwave again, but only for 5 minutes.

This way you will gradually separate all the leaves from the head of cabbage. They will be soft and flexible enough to pack minced meat into and make delicious homemade cabbage rolls.

Preparing the head of cabbage will look the same as when preparing it for cooking in the previous way: you need to wash it, remove substandard leaves, and make cuts around the stalk. Further, the technology differs slightly:

Place the head of cabbage in a plastic bag (you can also use a cooking sleeve).
Pierce the bag in several places with a toothpick - steam will escape through these holes.
Place the bag with the head of cabbage in the microwave, run it for 3 minutes, selecting maximum power.
After removing and cooling the head of cabbage under running water, remove the top leaves from it.

The procedure is repeated until the required number of leaves for preparing cabbage rolls can be collected.

As you can see, preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls using the microwave is not at all difficult. It will take no more than 15 minutes, and it’s safe. Now that you know this simple method, you can pamper your loved ones with homemade cabbage rolls much more often.

Compound:

head of cabbage – 1–1.5 kg.

A simple softening option in a bag

Cooking cabbage in the microwave for cabbage rolls without damaging or tearing the leaves is very easy in a bag.

To ensure everything goes right, follow these simple guidelines:

Remove soft green and damaged leaves. Harvest until clean and whole leaves appear.
Cut off the protruding stalk; if it is short, you can leave it.
Take a long, sharp knife. Making a cut around the stalk will help separate the leaves from the head. You should deepen the knife as far as you can, and cut the leaves only at the base.
Place the head of cabbage in a bag.
Select the maximum oven power.
Microwave for five minutes.
Get it. Remove the leaves, which come off easily. Use a fork to help.
Place it back into the bag and put it in the microwave for the same amount of time.
When the whole head of cabbage is sorted, collect them in one pile and put them in the microwave.
Maximum power, time – five minutes.
Thanks to this procedure, the leaves will be almost transparent and completely soft. Cool. Trim the veins of each leaf with a knife.

Whole head of cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave

Ingredients:

Choose a good head of cabbage, not too large and preferably flattened. Remove the top layer of dirty and torn leaves that are not suitable for making cabbage rolls.
Make cuts around the stalk using a sharp knife. You don’t have to remove the stalk, it doesn’t really matter. Place the processed head of cabbage in a deep microwave-safe bowl and place in the oven.
Set the microwave to high power and set the timer for five minutes. During this time, the top layer of leaves will soften. Rinse the head of cabbage under cold water, remove the top leaves and repeat the softening procedure again.
While the new leaves are being processed, you can just wrap the first batch of cabbage rolls. This way the process will be many times faster than the classic method of preparing cabbage leaves.
Select the optimal time for steaming cabbage leaves experimentally, as it depends on the power of the microwave and on the cabbage head itself. Therefore, set the optimal time yourself on the first portion specifically for your device and gradually soften the head of cabbage until all the leaves are cooked.

The process of preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls using the microwave is so simple that it does not require any culinary skills. But still, knowing a few subtleties won’t hurt.

For cabbage rolls, it is better to choose young cabbage with a flattened shape - 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, before placing it in the microwave oven, it is necessary to make several deep cuts around the stalk.
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 come off easily, you can cook the leaves in the microwave. It will take less time than processing a whole head of cabbage.
If you place the head of cabbage in a bag, 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, whole head or leaves, with or without a bag, varies slightly.

Remove the top “non-marketable” dark green layer from the purchased head of cabbage and wash the head of cabbage.
Using four to five deep cuts, cut through the stalk and remove it.
Place the forks inside the bowl and the bowl in the microwave.
Turn on the stove at full power for 10-12 minutes.
When ready to use, the cabbage should be soft. If this is not the case, another two or three minutes of processing will not hurt her.
Place the cooked head of cabbage under running cold water.
Take it apart. The cabbage leaves are then easy to separate.

This recipe does not always give the perfect result. As you remove layer by layer, you may notice that the sheets were not cooked evenly until softened. Some of them will seem too hard to you. Select the parts that require additional cooking, place them to reheat, setting the time on the timer for 2-3 minutes. To prepare the dish quickly, experienced housewives do not try to process the head of cabbage at one time, but boil it in stages.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave according to a step-by-step recipe with photos

for 12 people

10 minutes

27 kcal

5/5 (1)

I often hear from friends: “I really want homemade cabbage rolls, but I don’t have time to bother with them!” And I began to notice that when cooking dinner I choose something simpler and faster. After all, by the time you cook this cabbage to the desired state, an hour will pass, after which you no longer want anything.

Nowadays, this process has been made easier for us by our miracle helpers , which are now in the kitchen of any housewife. Of course, I'm talking about microwave ovens. Let's take a closer look at a simple idea and find out how to prepare cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave.

Cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls in the microwave

Kitchen appliances: microwave oven.

To soften cabbage in the microwave for cabbage rolls, it is better to use a medium-sized cabbage. Before boiling cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, you need to remove the spoiled leaves and cut out the darkened areas with a knife.
Using a sharp knife, cut out the middle of the head. Microwave the cabbage, cut side down, for 10 minutes. If possible, you need to set the temperature to 100 degrees.
After this time, remove the vegetable from the microwave and remove the leaves. They will come off easily. The cabbage will become very hot after cooking, so you need to be careful.
You can keep the finished cabbage in cold water, allowing it to cool a little.
Remove thick sections from the finished leaves, stack them on top of each other and put them in the microwave again for 10 minutes at a temperature of 100 degrees. The sheets are ready to use. These leaves can be stored in the freezer and used as needed.

Dear readers, I invite you to watch a short video that shows the entire process of preparing cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls using a microwave oven. You'll see how easy it is to separate cabbage into cabbage rolls that you've cooked in the microwave.

Many housewives refuse to cook cabbage rolls because it is a very long process. Preparing cabbage leaves takes a lot of time and is often avoided by cooks.

Using technology, you can speed up the preparation of our favorite cabbage rolls. I recommend that you try preparing the leaves using the microwave.

It's very convenient and fast, so let me tell you how to do it yourself.

Here is another simple idea on how to cook cabbage in the microwave for cabbage rolls.

Preparing cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls

Cooking time: 10 minutes. Number of servings: 12 servings. Calorie content: 27 kcal per 100 g of product. Kitchen appliances: microwave oven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS5VtiBDkmo

It is much easier to remove the leaves from fresh cabbage, and they taste much more tender and tastier. Before you disassemble the cabbage into cabbage rolls, you can let it stand for a while to cool, or do it with gloves.

Step by step recipe

Rinse a medium head of cabbage under running water. Microwave for 5 minutes at medium temperature.
Then turn the cabbage over to the other side and cook in the microwave for another 5 minutes. If you wish, you can turn it over again and repeat the process.
How many minutes it takes to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave will directly depend on your oven. Perhaps, with its low power, it may take 10 minutes per side. Now you can easily remove the leaves and use them to form cabbage rolls.

recipe

Dear readers, I bring to your attention a short video that shows in detail the entire process of preparing cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave.

Cooking options

Since we have learned how to make preparations for cabbage rolls quickly and easily, it’s time to prepare a delicious dish. By the way, you can cook more cabbage rolls and store semi-finished products in the refrigerator. And when your family wants such a meal, you just need to defrost them and use this recipe, which details how to cook frozen cabbage rolls. Take this idea into your piggy bank and enjoy a delicious and healthy dinner.
And here is a very easy step-by-step recipe with photos of cabbage rolls, which turn out very tender. I learned this recipe from a friend who is a huge fan of this dish and cooks it in various variations. Try my recipe and you will love the finished dish.
If possible, cook cabbage rolls in a slow cooker. Thanks to this miracle technique, you will receive a tender and juicy dish, the products of which have retained almost all of their beneficial properties. It is also very convenient to cook in a slow cooker and use the “Reheat” function. Then you will have a hot lunch or dinner waiting for you at any time.
The recipe for lazy cabbage rolls cooked in a pan on the stove does not lose its popularity. This is a very tasty and nutritious independent meal that is prepared very quickly. This dish will be another reason to eat cabbage, which contains many useful substances.

Source: https://www.alizy.club/myaso-i-ptitsa/s-ovoschmi/kapusta-dlya-golubtsov-v-mikrovolnovke.html

How to quickly soften cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave

You will need:

large fork of white cabbage - 1 pc.;
bag (sleeve) for baking – 1 pc.;
sharp knife.

To prepare cabbage rolls, it is better to choose large forks with a flattened shape - they have a larger leaf area compared to round heads of cabbage. You should not use too “old” cabbage, which remains at the end of winter from the last season - it has hard leaves with thick veins. Even if you manage to soften such a fork, it will be difficult to roll classic cabbage rolls beautifully and neatly. It is better to make lazy cabbage rolls or cabbage cutlets from such cabbage.

Wash the head of cabbage well under the tap, remove and discard 1-2 layers of the top leaves that are dirty or damaged. Using a sharp knife, cut out the stalk. To do this, make several deep cuts around the perimeter, tilting the knife towards the center of the fork, so that a wedge is formed at the end of the stalk, and it is easy to separate it from the main part of the cabbage.

Carefully remove the stalk. There will be approximately this hole left in the fork. Next, there are 2 options, depending on the “age” of the cabbage. Young forks can be disassembled immediately; their thin green leaves will be easily separated without damage. Old cabbage needs to be softened whole.

After the microwave oven signal, remove the cabbage, carefully untie the bag (be careful, there will be hot steam inside!) and remove the forks. Immediately place it under cold water.

When the head of cabbage has cooled a little, disassemble it into separate sheets, starting to separate them from the top, taking hold of the thinner part and gradually moving towards the hole from the stalk.

If there are still sheets of cabbage rolls suitable for preparing cabbage rolls left on the fork, but they are difficult to separate, repeat the softening procedure from the beginning. The thickenings on the cabbage leaves prevent the cabbage rolls from rolling tightly, so they need to be removed or further softened. There are several ways to do this. The first is to cut off the thickening with a knife.

The second is to beat off the thick area with a kitchen hammer.

The cabbage leaves are completely ready for further preparation of cabbage rolls - all that remains is to wrap the filling in them and simmer in the sauce.

Also, softened leaves can be frozen for future use; they tolerate freezing and thawing well without losing their taste and elasticity. Bon appetit!

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave? Simple and quick recipe

Most housewives believe that the most difficult thing in preparing cabbage rolls is preparing the cabbage leaves for subsequent filling with minced meat.

Regardless of the chosen method, the process is equally lengthy and labor-intensive, and besides, there is always a risk of being scalded by boiling water. But you can also make the leaves for cabbage rolls soft in the microwave, which is much faster and safer than in a saucepan.

We’ll tell you how to cook it in different ways in our article. Here we will present a recipe for delicious homemade cabbage rolls.

How to choose cabbage for cabbage rolls

Choosing the right head of cabbage will help make the labor-intensive process of separating cabbage leaves easier. It is recommended to pay attention to the following:

To prepare cabbage rolls, choose large heads of cabbage that are slightly flattened on top. Usually the leaves on them are thin, even and can be separated quite well even without scalding.
There should be no damage or holes on the leaves, otherwise the minced meat will fall out of them.
Don't forget to cut off or use a kitchen hammer to beat off the dense part of the leaf at the base of the head of cabbage.

Before we tell you how to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, let's look at the traditional method of separating the leaves. It involves scalding a head of cabbage in a pan of boiling water.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in a saucepan

Traditionally, cabbage for stuffed cabbage rolls is boiled in a large saucepan. The dimensions of the container must match the selected head of cabbage so that it fits easily into the pan. Let us remind you how to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls without a microwave, and in what order:

Pour at least two liters of water into a four-liter saucepan and bring it to a boil.
From cabbage weighing about 1.5 kg, remove the top and damaged leaves and, if desired, cut out the stalk.
Place the cabbage in boiling water, let it boil and immediately remove the cabbage from the pan onto a plate.
Allow the head of cabbage to cool slightly, then unroll the top leaves a little and, turning the head of cabbage over onto the stalk, cut them off at the base.
After the first scalding, it is possible to remove 3-4 cabbage leaves, after which the head of cabbage is again lowered into a pan of boiling water and all actions are performed in a similar sequence until the required number of leaves can be removed.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave: photos and step-by-step instructions

The tedious task of sorting cabbage leaves to prepare cabbage rolls is greatly simplified by the microwave. In this case, the preparation takes several times less time and effort.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave and in what order:

Prepare the head of cabbage: remove the top and damaged leaves.
Prepare a five-liter saucepan with cold water, filled to half the capacity of the container.
Place the cabbage on the stalk in the microwave.
Set the power to the highest level and operate the microwave for 10 minutes.
After the specified time, remove the head of cabbage from the microwave and place it in cold water. The top leaves will immediately begin to separate from the cabbage. They will need to be unfolded a little more with your hands and cut off at the base of the head of cabbage. Similarly, you will need to remove all other flexible and elastic leaves. If they are hard, the head of cabbage will need to be microwaved for another 3 minutes, and then continue disassembling the cabbage again.

After disassembling the head of cabbage, you will need to cut off the hard part at the base with a knife or cut it out completely.

Like leaves in the microwave

This method of cutting a head of cabbage is more suitable for young cabbage with tender leaves, which do not need to be cooked at all, since they are already quite elastic. If you are just looking for a way to cook delicious cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, the proposed option will suit you perfectly.

To begin with, the head of cabbage is cut into leaves, very carefully so as not to damage them. Otherwise, the minced meat will leak through the holes.

Each leaf is moistened with a small amount of water and placed in a glass plate or bowl. Then the plate with the stacked leaves is microwaved for 2 minutes at high power.

After the specified time, they are taken out, cooled and used to prepare cabbage rolls.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave in a bag

There is another way to cook cabbage in the microwave. Moreover, it is also considered the fastest, since the leaves will become soft and elastic in just 4 minutes.

How to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave quickly using a bag:

Prepare a bag or sleeve for baking.
Place a head of cabbage in it. Wrap or tie the bag and poke small holes in it.
Set the microwave power to the highest setting and cook time for 4 minutes.
After the specified time, remove the head of cabbage from the microwave and place it under a stream of cold running water.
Unfold the top leaves and cut them from the stalk at the base.

If the leaves do not seem elastic and flexible enough, you can stack them in a bag, tie it and put it in the microwave again for 2 minutes.

Recipe for delicious cabbage rolls

To prepare cabbage rolls, you can use the following recipe. All you need is a head of cabbage, about 700 g of minced meat, some cold boiled rice, salt and spices, as well as onions, carrots and tomato paste for frying.

First you need to decide how to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave. The recipe involves using the first method, in which a whole head of cabbage is sent to the microwave at once, and then it is cut into leaves.

Then the hard veins on each leaf are removed, a tablespoon of the filling (minced meat with rice) is placed in the center of the leaf, after which it is folded into an envelope. The prepared cabbage rolls are placed in a pan, filled with fried onions, carrots and tomatoes, and water so that it covers them completely.

Stuffed cabbage rolls are cooked over low heat for about 1 hour after boiling.

Source: https://1skidka.com/page.php?id=12452

Culinary secrets

The process of preparing cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls in the microwave is not difficult, but knowing a few culinary secrets will not hurt anyone.

Young cabbage with flattened heads of cabbage is most suitable for cabbage rolls, since it has the most flexible leaves.
If you want to process a whole head of cabbage, then choose a small one, since a large one simply will not fit in the microwave.
In a young head of cabbage, the leaves sometimes come off easily without any additional tricks. Therefore, you can simply put them on a plate, moisten them with water and put them in the microwave for a few minutes, turning it on at maximum power. It is best to place the leaves in batches, microwaving for only 3 minutes each time.
By making deep cuts around the cabbage before placing it in the microwave, you can easily separate the leaves afterwards.
It will be even easier to separate the leaves by placing the head of cabbage under a cold water tap.
In the bag, cabbage leaves soften a little faster.

As we have already said, it is easiest to process cabbage with separate leaves, preparing it for cabbage rolls. This will take 9-15 minutes depending on the size of the head of cabbage.

It remains to tell you how to cook cabbage for cabbage rolls in the microwave, not with individual leaves, but with a whole head of cabbage.