How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Lebanese Malfouf Mahshi)

Malfouf mahshi (also called mehshi malfouf or malfouf bil lahmeh) is the Lebanese way of stuffing cabbage: leaves rolled around rice and minced meat into rolls about as thick as a finger, then simmered slowly in a pot. Instead of a tomato sauce, the broth is seasoned with lots of whole garlic cloves, lemon juice and dried mint, so it tastes bright and savory rather than sweet.

It is a winter dish, made when cabbages are large and cheap, and it often shares the table with stuffed zucchini or grape leaves for a family lunch. Rolling takes time, which is why many families do it together around the table. The reward is a pot of tender, lemony rolls that taste even better the next day.

Ingredients

For the cabbage

• 1 large white cabbage, about 2 kg (4.5 lb), with loose, thin leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt for the blanching water

For the stuffing

• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) short or medium grain rice (Egyptian or calrose)
• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef or lamb, not too lean (about 15 to 20 percent fat)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil or melted samneh (clarified butter)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) fine salt
• 1 teaspoon Lebanese seven spice (baharat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For cooking

• 1 whole head of garlic (about 12 cloves), peeled
• 2 tablespoons dried mint
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• About 1 liter (4 cups) water

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
2. In a bowl, mix the rice, meat, oil, salt, seven spice, cinnamon and pepper with your hands until evenly combined.
3. Bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Cut deep around the core of the cabbage with a small knife and remove it.
4. Lower the whole cabbage into the boiling water, core side down. After 3 to 4 minutes, the outer leaves will turn bright and limp: lift them off with tongs and set aside. Keep going until you reach the small inner leaves, which you can chop and keep for lining the pot.
5. Lay each leaf flat and cut out the thick center rib with a paring knife. Cut very large leaves in half along the line where the rib was. Pieces about the size of your palm are ideal.
6. Place a leaf with the cut edge toward you. Spread about 1 heaped tablespoon of filling in a thin line along the edge, leaving room at the sides. Roll it up tightly into a slim roll, about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick. No need to fold in the sides.
7. Line the bottom of a heavy pot with the cabbage ribs and small leaves to stop the rolls from scorching.
8. Pack the rolls in snug rows, seam side down, tucking garlic cloves between them. Start the next layer in the opposite direction and continue until all the rolls are in.
9. Put a heatproof plate upside down on top of the rolls to keep them from moving. Add enough water to cover them by about 1 cm (1/2 inch), with 1 teaspoon salt.
10. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
11. Stir the dried mint into the lemon juice. Pour it over the rolls, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, until the rice is fully tender (taste one roll) and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
12. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips for the best malfouf mahshi

• Roll tightly but not too full. Rice expands as it cooks and loose rolls open up.
• If the inner leaves resist, put the cabbage back in the water for another minute.
• Freezing the whole cabbage overnight and thawing it softens the leaves without boiling.
• For a richer pot, lay a few lamb chops or bone-in pieces at the bottom before the rolls.

Variations

For a Lenten, vegan malfouf bi zeit, replace the meat with 1 diced tomato, a handful of chopped parsley, 1 finely chopped onion, 200 g (1 cup) cooked chickpeas and 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil. Add a spoonful of pomegranate molasses to the cooking water. Serve this version at room temperature.

How to serve and store

Serve hot from the pot with plain yogurt (laban) on the side and the soft garlic cloves spooned over the top. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water.

Seven spice and dried mint make the difference here, so look for a Lebanese producer such as Al Najjar Modern Mills for herbs and spices, and serve with laban from Balade Farms.

Frequently Asked Questions