Romanian Stewed Cabbage

Quarter cabbage and remove the core. Chop the cabbage into small pieces; they don’t have to be extremely fine. Set aside.

Finely chop onion. Chop pepper, carrot and tomato.

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan. Cook onions until translucent. Add pepper and carrot and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Add tomato, tomato paste, sweet paprika and sugar and stir for about 2 minutes.

Start adding the cabbage, as much as can fit in the pot. Add dried savory. Stir well to coat with the rest of the ingredients and cook for a few minutes until cabbage wilts down a bit. Add the rest of the cabbage, stir again, and add just a little water, about 50 ml or a scant ¼ cup. Stir again, cover very tightly and cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until cabbage is very tender.

Stir a few times in between, but do it quickly and cover again immediately to prevent losing too much steam from the pot. The cabbage should stew in its own liquid and it will not be too bad if it caramelizes slightly on the bottom of the pot (but only slightly). That makes the stewed cabbage even sweeter and tastier.

Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar for a fruitier taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

The dish can be easily reheated.