MALFOOF (STUFFED CABBAGE)

 

This Middle Eastern dish called "malfoof" literally means “rolled”, and describes the rolling of the cabbage leaves over a delicious rice and meat filling!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 head of cabbage

Filling:

  • 1 and 1/2 cup Egyptian short-grain rice, washed

  • 250g minced lamb

  • 1 heaping teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon allspice

  • 1 teaspoon Arabic spices (I use my tata’s spices)

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon ghee

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional

Stock:

  • 7-8 cloves garlic, minced and whole

  • Juice of one lemon

  • Dried mint

  • Cumin, to taste

  • 3-4 cups boiling water

Flavor towards the end:

  • Cilantro, finely chopped

  • 7-8 cloves garlic, minced

  • Olive oil

  • Juice of 2 lemons

PREPARATION

1. Simmer a full cabbage head in a large pot of boiling water and begin peeling the leaves gently once they’ve softened.

2. In a bowl, add rice with lamb, ghee, vegetable oil, 1 heaping teaspoon of cumin, allspice, salt and pepper, and mix well to combine.

3. Once you peel the layers of cabbage, cut out the stem in the middle of each leaf, then place about a tablespoon or two of the filling and begin rolling them.

4. In a pot that will fit your cabbage rolls tightly, sauté 7-8 minced and whole garlic cloves, with 2 tablespoons of ghee until fragrant. Then add some of the cabbage stem and leaf remains and sauté with an additional teaspoon of cumin and dried mint until they soften.

5. Now, line up the pot tightly with the cabbage rolls, then cover with a heavy plate.

6. Prepare stock by adding boiling water, a bit of olive oil, with the juice of 1 lemon, dried mint, salt, and a heaping teaspoon of cumin. Taste the stock to see if it is missing anything, and add accordingly.

7. Add the stock over the pot of cabbage rolls, and move it around a bit to make sure it seeps in-between the rolls. Let it come to a rolling boil for 5 minutes over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.

8. Make sure you check on it regularly throughout the hour, if the water completely evaporates, or becomes dangerously close, you’ll need to add more water.

9. Just before time is up, in a separate pan, sauté 7-8 minced garlic with chopped cilantro in olive oil, then add over pot of rolled cabbages with the juice of 2 lemons and extra dried mint. 

10. Best served with a side of cucumber mint yogurt!

Notes:
The number of cabbage leaves required for this recipe cannot be determined as it really depends on the size of the head of cabbage.

Many people like to half cook the rice and/or meat prior to stuffing it, but I find that unnecessary as it just adds a couple of extra tedious steps to the whole process.

Always make sure to check water levels as it cooks, and I say this from bitter experience.

Yes, it is a lengthy process, but the outcome is well worth the hard work!

MainsSuad Shammastuffed vegetables, vegetables, arab, arabic, stuffed, stuffed cabbage, cabbage, malfoof, malfoufComment