Catholic Recipe: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Also Called: Malfouf; Malfoof

Malfouf is a traditional dish from Lebanon which involves rolling cabbage leaves with a stuffing of ground meat, rice, spices, then stacking them in a cooking pot in layers with garlic in between, and then simmering them on low heat in a sauce made with lemon juice, fried minced garlic, water and salt.

If you are a fan of stuffed grape leaves or Dolma, you ought try this Lebanese stuffed cabbage rolls recipe. In Arabic it’s called “Malfouf” which has a dual meaning of “cabbage” as well as “rolled.” It’s also called “Mih-sheh Malfouf” which means stuffed cabbage.

DIRECTIONS

Mix sauce ingredients and leave aside. Separate cabbage leaves and boil for 1 minute. Remove and drain. Spread 1 leaf at a time on a board and cut off the thick part of the stalk (keep stalk to one side). Repeat for remainder. If cabbage leaves are too big, cut into vine leaf size. Fill each leaf with 1 tablespoons of filling mixture and fold the sides in. Then roll like a cigar. Arrange the stalks in the bottom of a deep pan and add on top the garlic. Now stack the stuffed cabbage in the pan. Cover with a heavy plate (inside the pan to keep them in place). Add sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Then cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot.