Malfouf (Lebanese Cabbage Rolls)

Malfouf is a classic Lebanese dish consisting of cabbage rolls stuffed with a ground beef and rice mixture, cooked in a lemony and garlic-y broth. It is a labour of love but so worth it when you flip it over onto a tray and simply can't stop eating them one after another! A dish that will impress.

What is Malfouf?

Malfouf in Arabic literally translates to two words: "Cabbage" and "Rolled". And this dish is exactly that - the Lebanese version of stuffed cabbage. Now cabbage is stuffed all over the world; it seems to be one of the more popular vegetables that everyone decided to stuff, in their own way. It is especially common across Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Russia, Croatia to name a few) but also found in Italy, Greece and Germany.

But what really sets Lebanese cabbage rolls apart is that they are thinner rolls and have a unique lemon-garlic flavour. Most other cabbage rolls you will find will be thicker and bigger. This specific recipe for Lebanese cabbage rolls can vary region to region as well, and you will also find it in other Levant countries (Syrian, Jordan, and Palestine). In Iraq, cabbage is typically stuffed as part of Dolma as well.

What I love about malfouf is that it is easier to stuff than grape leaves, and generally faster as well. It tastes SO good - its usually really really hard for me to stop eating them. And the best part is that they are actually quite healthy too!

Ingredients you'll need for an authentic malfouf recipe

You will need some cabbage of course, and I recommend green cabbage. While there are many other cabbage varieties, green cabbage yields the prettiest results because of its smooth texture. Savoy cabbage may also be used, and it is softer and easier to work with, but the rolls end up looking wrinkly (which is okay too).

For the filling, you need ground beef, short grain rice (Egyptian, Calroze or Italian will do), onions, allspice and garlic. You'll need at least 3 heads of garlic (don't be scared!). If you don't have allspice, you can substitute it for Lebanese seven spice. Finally, you will also need a lot of olive oil, lemon juice, and dried mint.

How to make it, step by step

The first step is to prepare your cabbage by carving out around the root and removing it, making sure to go as deep as you can. Carving the root out allows the cabbage leaves to loosen up easily.

Next you'll want to submerge the head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water and leave it in there for a five minutes or so on a each side. Then, using tongs, start to dislodge the cabbage leaves by lifting them away from the head and removing them one by one. If you come across a leaf that looks hard/rigid, leave it in the water for a few more minutes to soften, which will make it easier to roll.

While the cabbage is boiling, prepare the meat mixture by combining all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure the garlic is crushed and that the onions are finely chopped. Use your hands to ensure the meat and the rice are mixed together really well.

Next, prepare the cabbage leaves by cutting out the thick rib in the middle using a knife or kitchen scissors. Then continue cutting upwards to form two equal halves. Stuff the leaves by placing roughly 1-2 tablespoons of the filling the middle, flattening it down slightly, then rolling it up. Don't worry about folding the sides over, cabbage leaves don't need that because they're rigid and won't leak any of the filling.

Keep stuffing and rolling until you're out of either leaves or filling. This recipe should use up both the leaves and filling evenly, but if you have filling leftover, you can always cook it on its own like a pilaf (and it turns out fantastic!).

Mix together the broth, water, lemon juice, olive oil, mint and the salt to make the cooking liquid. You can use chicken stock cubes, or the liquid stock. Alternatively, vegetable stock or even water will work fine here.

At the bottom of your pot, place a drizzle of olive oil and then place a few extra cabbage leaves. Then place your rolls in the pot, making sure to pack them in tightly next to each other. Pour in the stock mixture, then add the whole garlic cloves as well as the dried mint. The liquid should just about come to the surface. Place a heavy plate on top.

Bring the pot to a boil on medium high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to medium and simmer for 1.5 hours, or until the cabbage is really soft. While cooking, you can taste the broth and adjust its salt and the tartness by adding a lot more lemon juice. Make sure you taste a roll and adjust accordingly!

How to serve Malfouf

To serve the malfouf, you can drain any excess liquid (just tilt the pot into the sink and place the pot lid so that no rolls come out) and then flipping the pot over onto a large tray. If you're scared of doing that, you can just put them on a serving platter one by one.

The best way to enjoy malfouf is hot straight after flipping the pot, with some extra lemon wedges on the side, and bit of yogurt to dip into (or yogurt and cucumber salad!). You can also garnish with another dusting of dried mint.

Oh and if you end up in a situation where you bought too much cabbage, why not make this cabbage salad to accompany it too?

For more stuffed vegetable recipes, check out these:

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