Sarma (sour cabbage rolls)
Sour cabbage leaves wrapped round mince and rice and slow-cooked with smoked meat; a winter dish.
Well-cooked hot dish
Ingredients
- sour cabbage leaves
- minced pork and beef
- rice
- onion
- smoked pork
- paprika
- bay leaf
- salt
How it is prepared
The rolls are packed into a pot with smoked meat and simmered gently for 2–3 hours.
Food safety with low immunity
- Minced meat and dishes made from it must always be fully cooked — including the middle.
- Avoid dry-cured or cold-smoked sausage and ham with low immunity, or heat them in the dish until steaming.
How to prepare it during treatment
Long cooking is a plus; the middle must be steaming hot. Sour cabbage and smoked meat are very salty — eat less with high blood pressure or kidney problems.
Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →
Storage
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, and eat within 1–2 days. Divide large batches into small containers so they cool faster.
Reheating
Once, until steaming hot all the way through; in a microwave, stir halfway.
Symptoms it may suit
- Low appetite. Gives a lot of energy and protein in a small portion — can help when appetite is low.
- Weight loss. Energy-dense and easy to enrich (oil, cheese, yoghurt) — can help with weight loss.
- Taste changes. Aromatic spices, herbs or a little sourness can help when food tastes bland or metallic (if there are no mouth sores).
These are general observations: what suits you can change from day to day.
Treatment phases
- Before treatmentmay suit
- During a coursemay suit
- Low counts (neutropenia)Freshly cooked and hotmay suit
- Between coursesmay suit
- After treatmentmay suit
Phase notes are general. During low counts, follow only your care team’s food rules.
If you have other conditions
- High blood pressure, Heart disease, Kidney disease. Often salty (stock, salty cheese, sausage, pickles). With high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, discuss salt limits with your team.
- Heart disease, Obesity, Liver disease, Stomach and gut. Can be fatty. With heart, liver or digestive disease, or excess weight, discuss fat content and portions with your team.
- Heart disease, High blood pressure, Kidney disease. Contains processed meat (sausage, bacon, ham). With heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney disease, discuss it with your team.
- Stomach and gut. Can be acidic from tomato, lemon or vinegar; keep this in mind with reflux, gastritis or mouth sores.
Nutrition (per 100 g)
Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.
More from this cuisine
Related topics
Food safetyNeutropenic diet (low-microbial diet)PasteurisedCore cooking temperatureLeftoversCross-contamination
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
- FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
- Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
- World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
- BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)