Pasuts tolma

Step 1: Drain 5 ½ oz dried red kidney beans and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water. Boil hard for 10 minutes; this destroys the natural toxin in kidney beans, so never skip it or cook them only gently. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes more, until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain.

Step 2: At the same time, drain 5 ½ oz dried chickpeas and simmer them in fresh water for about 45 minutes, until you can squash one with some effort. In a third pan, simmer 5 ½ oz green or brown lentils for 15 minutes, until tender with a little bite. Drain both.

Step 3: Cut the core out of 1 white cabbage and lower the whole head into a large pot of boiling water. As the outer leaves turn bright and floppy, after 2–3 minutes, peel them off with tongs and lay them on a tray. Keep going until you have about 30 good leaves. Shave down the thick rib of each leaf with a knife so it rolls easily.

Step 4: Fry 3 onions in 4 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp sweet red pepper paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens.

Step 5: Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cooked beans, chickpeas and lentils, 3 ½ oz coarse bulgur (it goes in raw and swells in the rolls), ⅔ oz fresh coriander, 2 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Taste: the filling should be well seasoned, as the cabbage is mild.

Step 6: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling near the stalk end of a leaf, fold the sides in and roll up firmly into a neat cylinder about 8 cm long. Repeat with the rest. Line the base of a heavy pot with any torn leaves, then pack the rolls in tightly, seam side down, in layers.

Step 7: Whisk 2 tbsp tomato paste and 3 tbsp lemon juice into 3 cups hot water and pour it over the rolls; it should come almost to the top layer. Set a small plate on top to stop the rolls moving.

Step 8: Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 50–60 minutes, until the leaves are silky and a knife slides through a roll with no resistance. Add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.

Step 9: Rest the rolls in the pot for 10 minutes before serving, so the bulgur finishes swelling and the rolls firm up. Serve warm or at room temperature with a spoonful of the cooking juices.