Lahanorizo, Greek Cabbage and Rice
Lahanorizo is peasant food from the Greek mainland, cabbage and rice cooked down together into one soft, sweet pot. Cabbage is the cheapest vegetable per pound in most stores and keeps for weeks, which is why dishes like this exist. The onion is sweated in water rather than oil, the cabbage is cooked slowly until it turns sweet on its own, and short-grain brown rice thickens the whole thing to a creamy finish while keeping its bran. A generous handful of dill and a squeeze of lemon at the end do the job salt would, so the pot stays bright without it. Serve it warm or at room temperature, the way it is usually eaten.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 3/4 cup short grain brown rice, rinsed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 wholes Fresh tomatoes, grated on a box grater, skins discarded
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Dill, chopped
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the onion and garlic in 0.25 cup (60 ml) water in a wide pot over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, adding a splash more water if the pot dries out. Cabbage and rice bring almost no flavor of their own, so this sweet onion base is what the dish is built on, and water does the work oil usually would.
- Stir in the grated tomato and the tomato paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the raw tomato smell fades and the mixture darkens. Reducing the tomato now concentrates it into a savory backbone instead of leaving the pot watery.
- Add the shredded cabbage in batches, stirring, and let it collapse in its own moisture, about 10 minutes. Cooked slowly like this the cabbage turns silky and sweet, which is the whole reason this cheap vegetable carries the dish without salt.
- Add the rinsed rice and 1.5 cups (355 ml) water, stir once, cover, and simmer gently until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Short-grain brown rice keeps its bran and needs the long, covered simmer to soften while it thickens the pot to a risotto-like creaminess.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the dill, lemon juice, and black pepper, then cover and rest for 10 minutes before serving. The rest lets the grains settle and the lemon sharpens everything, standing in for the salt this dish does without.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 220 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
