Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Taste and increase the amount of lemon juice and salt if needed.
Blanch the cabbage: Cut off the hard root part on top of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the cabbage leaves in batches until they are soft and flexible, for 2-3 minutes. Don’t over-cook them. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the simmering water and transfer into a strainer.

Prepare the blanched cabbage leaves: Cut off the thick vein in the middle of each cabbage leaf. Don’t throw them away, we’ll put them at the bottom of the pan. And cut cabbage leaves into two if they are too large.
Assemble the cabbage rolls: Place the removed thick veins or any other unwanted cabbage pieces in the pan as a bottom layer. This will keep the rolls at the bottom from getting over-cooked. Place a blanched cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling on one side of it and roll it up. Place the stuffed cabbage rolls in the pan.

Sauce: In a saucepan, combine olive oil, tomato paste, mashed garlic, dried mint and paprika. Add in the hot water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Cook the rolls: Sprinkle a little salt over the cabbage rolls in the pan. Pour the sauce over them. Place a plate upside down on the rolls. This will help the cabbage rolls to keep stable and cook equally well. Bring it to boil over medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until the rice is tender, for about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES

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