• Begin by cooking the rice. Place it into a small saucepan, add the recommended amount of water and cook according to package instructions; until the rice is fully cooked. Transfer the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool down to room temperature.

Cooking the Cabbage:

• Next, cook the cabbage. Microwave Method: while I don’t usually like to microwave my food, this is a very easy method! Wrap the cabbage tightly with 2 layers of plastic food wrap. Microwave for 10 minutes for a large cabbage; 8 minutes for small ones. Let the wrapped cabbage rest at room temperature another 20 minutes, or until you’re ready to shape the rolls.
• Stovetop Method: fill a large, tall pot with water and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, carefully cut out the hard, fibrous core from the center of the cabbage. Drop the cabbage into the boil water. As the leaves start to soften and cook, about 30 seconds to 1 minute per layer, gently remove them with tongs and set onto a tray lined with paper towels.

Making the Sauce:

• Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the butter, then the onion and carrots. Sauté the mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender.
• Add in the garlic and all the spices next: salt, pepper, coriander, cumin and paprika. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
• At this point, you’ll want to remove half of the mixture into a large mixing bowl and save it for the filling.
• To the remaining half of the mixture, add in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and sour cream. Whisk in the sour cream until it’s well combined. Simmer this sauce over medium-low heat for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Season the sauce to taste with additional pepper and salt, and sprinkle in a few tablespoons of fresh dill and parsley. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stir together, then add the slurry to the sauce. Cook the sauce for another minute, until it’s nicely thickened, then remove it from the heat.

Making the Filling:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled rice, the reserved 1/2 of the onion and carrot mixture, and the ground turkey. Season the filling with salt, pepper, fresh dill and fresh parsley.
• Use your hand to combine everything together, forming a uniform mixture.

Shaping the Rolls:

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Pour approximately two-thirds of the prepared sauce into the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish.
• If you microwaved the cabbage, this is a great time to dissemble it. Turn the cabbage upside down and use a sharp knife to cut the leaves away from the core. Turn the cabbage face side up and gently peel the leaves away. Trim away any hard edges from each cabbage leaf.
• For each roll, add approximately ½ cup of turkey rice filling onto the tip of the cabbage leaf (were it meets the core). Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then gently but tightly roll the leaf as you would an egg roll.
• Watch my video for step-by-step video instructions to see how I shape the rolls. Place the shaped rolls seam side down into casserole.
• Once you have all the rolls done, spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the rolls. Cover the casserole tightly with foil.

Baking Instructions:

• Bake the rolls in a preheated oven set to 375F for 1 hour. Remove the foil after one hour and turn on the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes, to give the rolls some extra color on top.

Serving Suggestions:

• The rolls will be super-hot when you take them out of the oven! Allow them to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before enjoying.
• Before serving, garnish the turkey cabbage rolls with a sprinkle of fresh dill, fresh parsley, and ground black pepper.
• For an authentic Ukrainian experience, serve the cabbage rolls with pickles, marinated tomatoes, sour cream, and toasted bread on the side.

Reheating Instructions:

• Need to reheat these the next day? Cut each cabbage roll in half lengthwise. Preheat a large frying pan with a little bit of butter. Fry the rolls with the filling facing down until it’s golden, then turn over and fry the other side. Add some water to the pan to reconstitute the sauce.