This spin on stuffed cabbage is heart-friendly

Update regular stuffed cabbage with this unique variation. The heart-healthy ingredients add a nice crunch, reinvigorating this old favourite with new flavours.

• 125 g (1/2 c) long-grain rice
• 250 ml (1 c) water
• 8 large red cabbage leaves
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) cumin seeds
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
• 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) mango chutney, divided
• 50 g (1/4 c) unsalted cashew nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (425 g/15 oz) lentils, drained
• 250 g (1/2 lb) cooked turkey or chicken, without skin, diced
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) chopped parsley
• 250 ml (1 c) low-sodium tomato juice
• Salt and pepper
• Sprigs of fresh parsley to garnish

Preparation time: 40 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes. Serves 4.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the rice in a small pot. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Stir once, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice stand, without removing the lid, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, trim off the tough stalk from the base of each cabbage leaf. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add half the leaves, bring back to the boil and blanch for 30 seconds.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the leaves from the pot and plunge them into a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Drain the leaves well and leave to dry, spread out on a clean towel.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, ground coriander and cinnamon, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5. Add 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) of the mango chutney to the onion mixture, together with the cashews, lentils, turkey or chicken and parsley. Season to taste and mix well. Stir in the rice until thoroughly combined.
6. Lay a cabbage leaf flat on the work surface, with the stalk end towards you. Place some of the rice mixture on the leaf. Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up the leaf to enclose the filling in a neat package. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
7. Mix the remaining 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) of mango chutney with the tomato juice, and season to taste. Pour about one-quarter of this sauce into a large ovenproof dish. Pack the cabbage dumplings into the dish and pour the rest of the sauce over them.
8. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the leaves are tender, about 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

To make Chinese-style cabbage dumplings, try the following:

1. Use blanched bok choy leaves instead of the red cabbage. Replace the lentils with 250 grams (1 cup) sliced canned baby corn.
2. Add 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) finely chopped fresh ginger and 1 large garlic clove, crushed, to the onion.
3. Use plum sauce instead of mango chutney and add 25 grams (1 ounce) toasted sesame seeds to the rice mixture.

Each serving (2 dumplings) provides:

• 410 Calories (90 Calories from Fat)
• 10 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat and 0 g Trans Fat)
• 28 g Protein
• 56 g Carbs
• 12 g Fibre
• 60 mg Sodium
• 49 mg Vitamin C
• 134 mg Magnesium
• 998 mg Potassium
• 97 mg Calcium

The mellow-flavoured red cabbage leaves are filled with a hearty mixture of turkey, lentils, rice and cashews, and baked in a simple tomato sauce. Low in fat and high in protein, these are an excellent alternative to regular dumplings or cabbage rolls.