Malfouf Recipe (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Malfouf is a Lebanese / Middle Eastern Stuffed Cabbage Rolls that has fillings of rice, ground beef, herbs, and spices. It is one of the best cabbage recipes which you can eat it alone and feel satisfied.

Jump to:

• What is Malfouf?
• Recipe Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment You Need
• Things to do first before cooking
• Step by Step Instruction
• Questions & Answers
• Other Lebanese Food Recipes
• Recipe Card
• Reviews

While living in Kuwait and Jordan, I have tried and eaten many delicious Arabic foods. And I can assure you their foods are flavorful and nutritious.

I remember, back in old times in Kuwait, we have a weekly family gathering in my grandparent's house. My late Grandmother, God rest her soul, made this delicious cabbage dish called Malfouf, which melted my mouth since it is so tasty.

What is Malfouf?

Malfouf is an Arabic word meaning "stuffed Cabbage" in English. It is made from a cabbage roll, which I added rice, ground beef, coriander leaves, and other spices. This recipe is usually made during family gathering, Ramadan, or other important occasions.

There are 3 things you need to do when making this recipe. Firstly, the cabbage is simmer in a separate pot till it becomes soft enough.

Secondly, I sauté the uncooked rice, ground beef, and spices with oil in a pan. Once you combine them, that's when you can start preparing the cabbage roll.

And lastly, I am using tomato soup with spices when simmering the stuffed cabbage.

Cooking Malfouf is time-consuming but I promise you will love this recipe. My grandmother taught this recipe to my mother, and she relays this to me.

Recipe Ingredients

There are several ingredients to make a delicious Malfouf recipe:

RICE FILLINGS: For making the rice filling for the stuffed cabbage, here is what you need:

• Uncooked long grain rice
• Ground Beef
• Red Onion
• Coriander Leaves (You can switch with parsley or mint leaves if you like)
• Cumin Powder

WHOLE CABBAGE: I am using Cannonball Cabbage when simmering in the pot. You can use other types of green Cabbage if you like

BROTH FOR SIMMERING: When boiling or simmering the cabbage roll, I am mixing with water, tomato paste, chicken cube, and allspice. This will make the broth flavorful.

OTHER INGREDIENTS: So as not to make this dish boring, I like to add chicken and sliced potatoes & tomatoes in the pot when simmering the malfouf. Adding some protein and potatoes will make this meal complete. But this is just optional if you don't want to.

Kitchen Equipment You Need

Here are the kitchen equipment or tools you need for this recipe:

• Cooking Pan- the pan will be used to saute the uncooked rice, onion, ground beef, and the spices
• Large Cooking Pot- the pot will be used to simmer the cabbage till it becomes soft, and this is where you place the stuffed cabbage roll to cook it for hours. Furthermore,
• Small Cooking Pot- the small pot I am using is for making the broth which I mixed with tomato paste, chicken cube, and other ingredients needed.
• Kitchen Knife- You will need a big knife to cut out the core of the cabbage before boiling it.
• Colander- You will need this to drain the excess water after you are boiling the cabbage.
• Large Serving Plate- A plate will be used to place all your stuff cabbages including the potatoes and the chicken when serving.

Things to do first before cooking

Before you start cooking this recipe, I first remove the core or the root of the cabbage using the knife.

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Once you cut it off, put it in the water in the pot and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes till it becomes soft (not too soft). I use the colander to drain the water and separate the cabbage.

And lastly, once it cools down, that is when I peeled the cabbage leaves. This will be good for 20 to 25 cabbage leaves.

That way it will be easier to make malfouf if you boiled the cabbage ahead.

Step by Step Instruction

After peeling all the cabbage leaves, there are 4 steps you need to do: Making the Rice Filling; Stuffing the Cabbage; Making the Broth, and Cooking the Cabbage Roll.

I. Making the Rice Filling

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Firstly, I add olive oil to the pan in medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, I added chopped red onion followed by ground beef, and then the uncooked rice. Stir for few minutes.

Once you saute them, add the cumin powder, chopped coriander leaves, salt, and black pepper. Stir again gently for several minutes before turning off the heat. And then I set aside.

II. Assembling a Cabbage Roll

To make a cabbage roll, you need a cabbage leaves that I prepared earlier.

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Firstly, I added the rice filling to the center of the cabbage leaves. Fold on both sides before you roll into a cigar shape. Repeat the process and place it all on the plate.

When folding the rice filling, do not fully cover it like the picture shown above.

III. Making the Broth

To make a broth, I pour water into a cooking pot on medium heat.

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Once it started to boil, that is when I added the chicken bouillon cube, allspice, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Lower the heat and stir it gently for few minutes before turning off the fire. Now you set aside.

IV. Cooking the Cabbage Roll

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In a large cooking pot, I am making a layer here. First, I add the sliced tomatoes and leftover cabbages. And then followed by potatoes and chicken drumstick as a second layer.

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After that, I put all the stuffed cabbage roll into the pot. One important thing to do is I use a heat-proof plate in the pot and pushed it down using your hand. This will help hold cabbage roll together and cook it faster.

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And then I pour the tomato broth into the pot. Make sure the broth is slightly above the edge of the plate.

I let it simmer for 1 and ½ hours, or until it is soft and fully cooked. That is the time you can remove the plate inside the pot, and prepare to serve along with cooked chicken and potatoes.

Notes: While simmering, you can add more broth if you don't see water bubble above the plate.

Questions & Answers

Other Lebanese Food Recipes

Here are other delicious Lebanese Food recipes I highly recommend you to make:

• Cheese Fatayer
  
• Chicken Kafta
  
• Zaatar Bread