Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the cabbage leaves:
- 4 1/2 lb. large green cabbage, not Savoy (it's too hard to roll the leaves of that variety)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly-ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- ***
- 1 Tbsp. Libyan bzaar spice blend (you'll need to make a large batch, as this is used throughout the recipe), made from the following spices - dry-roast any whole spices in a frying pan until fragrant before grinding:
- 3 heaping Tbsp. turmeric
- 3 Tbsp. freshly-ground caraway powder
- 6 tsp. freshly-ground coriander powder
- 3 tsp. 7-spice (Bokharat), made from:
- 1/2 Tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp. freshly-ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp. freshly-ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp. freshly-ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. freshly-ground cardamom seeds (remove pod)
- ***
- For the filling:
- to prepare the rice:
- 2 cups Egyptian or short grain rice (Calrose brand is ideal)
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 3 cups boiling water
- ***
- 1 lb. ground meat, TFD prefers a combination of 50% lean lamb, 50% 90/10 ground beef
- 1/3 cup finely-minced spring onion (minced scallion works as a substitute, use white and light green part only)
- 1/3 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced tomato flesh (no pulp!)
- 1/3 cup minced Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground cumin
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground mahlab
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. Libyan bzaar spice blend
- 1/3 cup (packed) + 1 Tbsp. finely-minced fresh dill
- 1 minced red Fresno or jalapeño - no ribs or seeds!
- ***
- For the makmoura base:
- 1 onion, finely-diced
- 6 large garlic cloves - peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (TFD actually enjoys Icelandic smoked salt in this, but it’s wildly untraditional - you could instead use a dash of Mesquite liquid smoke with the kosher salt to simulate it)
- 1/2 Tbsp. freshly-ground mahlab
- 1 tsp. freshly-ground cumin
- 2 tsp. bzaar spice blend
- 1 Tbsp. ghee (preferred for flavor) or olive oil (to keep it kosher)
- cabbage ribs and leaf scraps
- ***
- 6 peeled garlic cloves, cut into slivers
- ***
- For the sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. dried spearmint flakes
- 2 tsp. O-Florale brand rosewater (HIGHLY OPTIONAL TFD addition, omit if you so prefer and do not substitute other brands, they're too floral and bitter to use in this recipe)
- 5 peeled garlic cloves - crushed through a garlic press
- 3 roasted garlic cloves - smashed (TFD optional change, use regular garlic through a garlic press for original recipe)
- 3/4 cup pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce (optional, but TFD prefers it and it is traditional)
- 3 tsp. bzaar spice mix
- hot water or homemade chicken stock (TFD optional change, but I like it), as needed to cover the stuffed cabbage in the pan
- ***
- HIGHLY Optional Garnish:
- red Peppadew peppers - while African in origin, this is 100% NOT used in the original recipe (though it is delicious!)
- bread - this is a traditional side to this dish and should be served, with a dish of olive oil on the side for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare cabbage leaves: Cut into the cabbage in a square shape around the core. This will help loosen the leaves.
- In a large pot of boiling water, add salt, cumin, bzaar blend and blanch cabbage leaves until tender and flexible; then cut vertically to take off the rough stem in the middle & keep aside for Makmoura base. Use the liquid as the base to prepare a spiced vegetable or meat soup that can be served with the meal, if you wish, or simply discard.
- Prepare the filling – first, the rice: In a medium-sized saucepan heat the cooking oil to medium-low and add the uncooked rice. Gently stir the rice so that each grain is coated with the oil.
- Turn the heat up to medium and for the next 5 minutes (a little more or little less) gently stir the rice (preferably with a wooden spoon) until it turns from its original opaque color to where the grains look like tiny pearls. If you want, you can also stir-fry the rice until the grains are a golden color for more flavor.
- Once the grains of rice have turned color (it is very noticeable) then you will add the boiling water. Be careful when adding the boiling water because it will splutter wildly. Put the top on the pot and reduce the heat to very low. Cook the rice for 17 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. There you have it…short-grain rice that is light and fluffy and not sticky – perfect for this recipe!
- Once the rice is cooked and cooled, add the ground meat, all the remaining stuffing ingredients and mix well to combine – then set aside.
- Prepare the makmoura base: Chop cabbage stems with the remaining scrap cabbage leaves; then in a suitable pot, pour in oil or ghee (TFD prefers ghee but it makes the dish not kosher) then add chopped onions plus all the spices and stir until translucent then add garlic and stir, then add chopped stems and leaves & stir together, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Reserve and keep warm.
- Stuff the cabbage leaves: Spread out cabbage leaf & begin to stuff with a suitable amount of filling; then roll up cabbage & tuck in the sides as you roll. The rolls should long and thin. Place the completed rolls in a large pot – place garlic clove slivers in between the cabbage rolls. Yes, there is a TON of garlic in this dish – REVEL IN IT!
- Make the sauce to cook the cabbage: In an appropriate mixing bowl add all the sauce ingredients and mix to combine, reserving a decent amount of extra sauce for garnishing later.
- Then, add the majority of the sauce to the pot along with enough hot water or chicken stock to cover the cabbage parcels completely. Scatter the highly-optional peppadew peppers across the top, if using.
- Add a plate on top of the cabbage to weight down & prevent cabbage from moving while cooking, then bring the pot back to a boil – cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour until fully cooked.
- Transfer stuffed cabbage to a serving dish and serve hot, drizzled very lightly with extra pomegranate sauce. Serve bread, olive oil and makmoura on the side, plus any remaining extra bzaar spice to be served on the table for those who want it.