Malfouf

Stuffed Cabbage

 

Stuffed cabbage (Malfouf) is a traditional Lebanese dish that involves rolling cabbage leaves with ground meat and rice stuffing.

 

Ingredients:

 

Meat

½ pounds of ground 93% or more beef 

Produce

½ soft cabbage (Chinese is what I generally use)

4 garlic cloves

3 lemons

Pasta and Grains

1 cup of basmati rice

Oils and Vinegars

Extra version olive oil

Baking and Spices

¼ tsp black pepper, ground

½ tsp salt

½ tsp whole spice, ground

¼ tsp cloves, ground

¼ tsp cardamom, ground

1 tsp of dried mint

 

 

How to make it:

• Soak the rice in hot water for 10a minutes, then remove and set aside.

• Mix the rice and ground meat along with salt, pepper, cardamom, whole spice, cloves and cinnamon.

• On the side, peel cabbage leaves softly to avoid breakage, then cut them into rectangle (a good measurement will be your palm). In a pot boiling water, steam each piece you cut for a couple of minute or until soft.

• When you’re done, place each steamed cabbage leaf open, add the rice and meat mixture in one line (finger thick), then roll it closed. Yes, the edges will remain open.

• Once you’re done rolling up all the cabbage leaves, place them in a pot, fill the pot with water (until you can barely see the cabbages), put the cover on and add low heat.

• Keep it in the pot under low heat for 60 minutes. Add the lemon juice, chopped garlic and the dried mint, cover for another 10-20 minutes.