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    Home » Main Dish

    May 28, 2021

    Easy Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof)

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    Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof) is part of a larger family of what is called Mahashi or stuffed vegetables. It’s one of the yummiest of the pack because of its flavorful ingredients. Also very popular with moms because it’s a little easier to prepare than others in its family!

    Malfoof means cabbage in Arabic and can be written as malfuf or malfouf. In my household, this is also a popular dish. Our family enjoys a good Malfoof stew because it’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with so much wonderful flavors. I love it because it can be prepped in advance and easily made to be eaten over a few days. We love eating it drowned in its stew juices or as a finger food! Tastes amazing either way!

    Malfoof is stuffed cabbage made the middle eastern way.  Stuffed cabbage rolls are so delicious and tangy.  this Malfouf recipe is easy and you can make it in the instant pot
    Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

    Preparing the Cabbage

    There are a few ways to prepare your cabbage before stuffing. The main thing to be done is get the leaves soft and tender enough to fold and roll after stuffing. So, how do we get them that way?

    Boiling The Cabbage for the Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof)

    Well, first of all, it’s important to wash your cabbage head. Next, you want to decide how you want to tenderize the leaves. The most common technique is to boil the cabbage. Oftentimes, you do this by boiling the whole cabbage. You pit the cabbage, meaning you slice out the core by slitting around its edges with a knife and pulling it out. This ensures that the leaves will come apart much more easily after boiling. Another way is to core it and pull apart the leaves and boil the leaves already separated. It’s really all up to you which process makes you more comfortable. Some people boil the cabbage whole without even removing the core, so that’s also optional.

    Whether you’re removing the core or not, if you’re not planning on boiling, it’s best to get the water to a boil first. Then, add some salt and drop your cabbage head or leaves in to boil. Keep an eye on your cabbage as it boils. It needs about 20 minutes or just until tender. Overcooking it as this stage is bad because the leaves will tear as you pull them apart or roll them. If you already separated the leaves, you’ll nearly half the boiling time. The leaves should be a little translucent and tender to the touch with some rigidity.

    How to make malfouf, in the instant pot (cabbage rolls).  These Lebanese cabbage rolls are flavorful and a staple recipe.  Also known as cabbage leaf recipe, cabbage leaf roll, and middle eastern cooked cabbage recipes

    A Cabbage Prep Hack

    Don’t want to boil your cabbage head? There’s a hack that many people use. They freeze the cabbage head a full day ahead and remove from the freezer a couple of hours ahead of time. As it thaws, the leaves become translucent and tender!


    Mix the meat, rice, onions, garlic, olive oil, and spices
    Mixed stuffing
    remove the stem of the cabbage head
    cut deep around the root
    remove the root using a fork
    boil the head of cabbage
    cut the thick stem on the back of the cabbage leaf
    stuff with the meat and rice mix
    begin to roll
    it should look like this
    place in the pressure cooker pot or stove top pot
    mix the juice or broth mixture
    broth mixture
    pour over the rolled cabbage then set to boil
    ready to eat cabbage rolls – Lebanese Malfoof
    The steps to making stuffed cabbage and the broth that goes into the pot

    The Stuffing for Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof)

    The stuffing for the Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof) is none other than the famous dolma stuffing. Yes, it’s the same stuffing used in stuffed zucchini grape leaves (also part of the mahashi family. You can use my meat and rice- hashweh recipe which is easy to follow and recreate. It’s basically a mix of ground beef and rice of your choice (best with short-grain rice) and a mix of spices. You use the stuffing raw and place it in the center of each cabbage leaf and fold and roll it. The stuffing will cook thoroughly and evenly in the sauce. You do have the option of precooking the meat if you’re more comfortable with that.

    Furthermore, a great thing about cabbage is that it doesn’t require as much skill and effort in stuffing and rolling as other mahashi veggies do. It can be done quicker and much more easily than grape leaves or having to core other veggies like zucchini before stuffing. They are also easier to cook because cabbage leaves are hard to overcook or undercook, unlike other green leaves.

    Malfoof recipe also known as stuffed cabbage leaf recipe is a delicious dish.  Lebanese stuffed cabbage is made with ground meat, rice, onions, olive oil, seven spices and lemon.

    Other types of Mahashi (Stuffed Vegetables)

    The mahashi family is a large one. Any vegetable you can core or fold can be stuffed with the hashweh or meat and rice stuffing. The star of the mahashi family is stuffed grape leaves or dolma. Stuffed zucchini and eggplant come in a close second. Many people also stuff bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, artichokes. Another green that can be stuffed and rolled is swiss chard but it’s definitely a lot more sensitive than grape leaves and should be treated delicately.


    Tips – How To Make Malfoof

    • While boiling the cabbage head for Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof), you will notice it floats so you may want to flip it over half way through boiling to get it cooked on all sides.
    • Drain the cabbage head or leaves after boiling to remove excess water.
    • After rolling the cabbage leaf, it’s a great idea to squeeze it. This removes excess water and helps the rolled cabbage keep its form while cooking.
    • Don’t overdo the stuffing inside because the rice will fluff as it cooks in the sauce causing it to double in size. If there’s too much stuffing, it will come out of the leaf.
    • To keep the rolled cabbage from coming apart, you can put a glass dish face down on top of the rolled cabbage in the pot to keep them in place and help them cook evenly.
    • For added flavor and juices, you can stack tomatoes between layers.
    stuffed cabbage recipe also known as malfoof or malfouf.  This is 	how to make cabbage rolls

    Can I make this a vegetarian dish?

    Yes, of course. Simply omit the ground beef from the stuffing recipe. You can even opt to create a veggie-based filling using parsley, tomatoes, mint, and shallots with the rice.

    How long can I store leftover stuffed cabbage?

    You can store leftovers in the fridge up to five days.

    Can I freeze leftover stuffed cabbage?

    Yes! You can freeze cooked stuffed cabbage without the sauce in an airtight container for up to three months. Remove the night before and put in the fridge to thaw.

    How to boil cabbage leaves?

    Cut the stem out of the whole cabbage, cutting around and pulling out with a fork. Then, you boil the whole cabbage head for about 30-40 minutes until the leaves have softened, making sure you spin the cabbage head around often. Strain, allow to cool and gently peel one leaf at a time.


    What You Need to Make this Recipe

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker (Optional but recommended)

    Ingredients

    • 2 cabbage heads

    Cabbage Stuffing

    • 1½ lbs ground meat
    • 2 cups short-grain rice
    • 2 onions minced
    • 10-15 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoons seven spices
    • 1 tablespoon sumac
    • ¼ cup oil
    • salt to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon citric acid
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper

    Sauce

    • ¼ cup oil
    • 4 cups warm water
    • 6 cloves garlic crushed
    • 2 bouillon cubes
    • 2 lemons juiced
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon seven spices

    stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is 	best cabbage roll recipe out there.  It is easy and this is a Lebanese version also known as malfouf

    Preparation

    1. Place the cabbage head in boiling water for 20 minutes or so, until it becomes tender and leaves start to slightly fall off.  Don’t over boil since leaves will become too soft to roll.
    2. At the root of the cabbage cut deep with a knife around in square form.  After cutting well, pull the root out with a fork. This can be done before or after.
    3. Drain cabbage and begin to separate leaf by leaf.  With a knife cut horizontally the tip of each leaf that is hard to smooth out surface and leaf becomes foldable.
    4. Mix all ingredients under “cabbage stuffing”.  You can add more salt to taste. I usually taste the mix (I don’t swallow it) then fix salt to your liking.
    5. Put about 2 tablespoons of the rice mix in one whole leaf or half the leaf, fold in from the right then the left of leaf and begin to roll.  Line up the rolled cabbage in pressure cooker or a large pot.
    6. Mix all ingredients under “sauce”, then pour over rolled cabbage in pressure cooker pot.  Set pressure cooker to 16 minutes. 
    7. Once done, you can taste it, adjust any taste in the sauce if needed.  Drain most of the water out by placing a plate over the cabbage inside the pot. Enjoy with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

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    Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof)

    Lama
    Cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, onions, garlic, ground meat and spices then simmered in delicious garlic and lemon broth. A hearty and soul-warming dish that hits the spot!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Comment Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Cook Time 18 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean

    Equipment

    Pressure Cooker (Optional but recommended)

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cabbage heads

    Cabbage Stuffing

    • 1½ lbs ground meat
    • 2 cups short-grain rice
    • 2 onions minced
    • 10-15 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoons seven spices
    • 1 tablespoon sumac
    • ¼ cup oil
    • salt to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon citric acid
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper

    Sauce

    • ¼ cup oil
    • 4 cups warm water
    • 6 cloves garlic crushed
    • 2 bouillon cubes
    • 2 lemons juiced
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon seven spices

    Instructions
     

    • Place the cabbage head in boiling water for 20 minutes or so, until it becomes tender and leaves start to slightly fall off.  Don’t over boil since leaves will become too soft to roll.
    • At the root of the cabbage cut deep with a knife around in square form.  After cutting well, pull the root out with a fork. This can be done before or after.
    • Drain cabbage and begin to separate leaf by leaf.  With a knife cut horizontally the tip of each leaf that is hard to smooth out surface and leaf becomes foldable.
    • Mix all ingredients under “cabbage stuffing”.  You can add more salt to taste. I usually taste the mix (I don’t swallow it) then fix salt to your liking.
    • Put about 2 tablespoons of the rice mix in one whole leaf or half the leaf, fold in from the right then the left of leaf and begin to roll.  Line up the rolled cabbage in pressure cooker or a large pot.
    • Mix all ingredients under “sauce”, then pour over rolled cabbage in pressure cooker pot.  Set pressure cooker to 16 minutes. 
    • Once done, you can taste it, adjust any taste in the sauce if needed.  Drain most of the water out by placing a plate over the cabbage inside the pot. Enjoy with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Mariana says

      August 05, 2021 at 8:19 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious. It’s the first time I make Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof) and it came out just like my mom’s! Thanks a bunch!

      Reply
      • Lama says

        August 10, 2021 at 10:54 pm

        This makes me happy to hear! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Elizabeth H O Dudley says

      October 18, 2021 at 8:06 am

      looks delicious and you explain the recipe steps and reasons well – look forward to making this, thank you for the recipe and tips

      Reply
      • Lama says

        October 18, 2021 at 1:40 pm

        Hi Heather! Happy to came across this recipe 🙂 I guarantee you will like it! Thanks for stopping by – Lama

        Reply
    3. Elaine says

      November 06, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      5 stars
      I finally made these cabbage rolls today and they came out perfect. Myb kids enjoyed every bite! Thank you

      Reply
      • Lama says

        November 07, 2021 at 3:31 pm

        Hey Elaine! Glad to hear and I hope you found them to be quicker in the pressure cooker! 🙂

        Reply

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    I'm Lama, welcome to my blog where you will find simple and diverse recipes your entire family will enjoy. My passion for cooking began after I got married when I challenged myself to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. With the help of my mom over the phone, I was so proud it turned out successful! Today, I share my passion across many social platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! I am honored to connect with you through the recipes I prepare! about me!

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