Malfoof is a Levantine stuffed cabbage dish: ground beef and rice seasoned with cardamom, allspice, turmeric, and garlic, rolled into parboiled cabbage leaves and simmered in a lemon-garlic broth. It takes real time to make, but the ingredients are cheap and the pot feeds a crowd over several days — the rolls actually taste better on day two.
Smart swaps
- Ground beef vs. lamb: Either works. Lamb is more traditional in many households; beef is cheaper and easier to find. A 50/50 mix is a solid middle ground.
- Short-grain rice: The recipe calls for short-grain rice because it absorbs the meat juices and holds together inside the roll. Long-grain works fine — just don’t pre-cook it. Parboiled or instant rice will turn mushy; avoid those.
- Cardamom and allspice: If you’re missing one, lean heavier on the other. A small pinch of cinnamon can fill the gap. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
- Lemon juice: Fresh is better, but bottled works. Use the same volume the recipe calls for; don’t reduce it, since the acid is what keeps the broth from tasting flat.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is standard. Savoy cabbage leaves are more pliable and easier to roll if you can find it, but any head cabbage does the job.
The technique that matters
Getting the cabbage leaves off the head cleanly is the step that determines whether this dish is frustrating or straightforward. Boil the whole head just long enough to loosen the outer leaves — around 3 to 4 minutes — then pull the pot off the heat, peel off however many leaves have softened, and return the head to the water to loosen the next layer. Trying to peel a cold or under-boiled head tears the leaves. Once you have your leaves, trim the thick central rib flat with a knife rather than cutting it out entirely; this keeps the leaf in one piece and makes rolling much easier. A tight, even roll matters too — loose rolls fall apart in the pot and the filling can escape into the broth.
If something goes sideways
- Rolls unraveling during cooking: Pack them seam-side down and stack them snugly against each other in the pot. They hold each other in place. If the pot is too large and they have room to move, wedge a heat-safe plate on top to keep them in position.
- Filling is still raw in the center: This usually means the rolls were too thick or the heat was too high and the liquid evaporated before the rice cooked through. Add a splash of hot water, lower the heat, and give them another 10 to 15 minutes covered.
- Broth tastes bland: Add more lemon juice and a pinch of salt directly to the pot liquid — you can do this mid-cook without opening the rolls. Taste the broth before serving; it should be noticeably tangy and garlicky.
- Cabbage leaves keep tearing: The head needs more time in the boiling water. Smaller, inner leaves are more prone to tearing — use two overlapping pieces to make one roll if needed.
- Rice is mushy: The filling rice-to-meat ratio was off, or the rolls simmered too long. Next time, use slightly less rice in the filling mix, and check doneness at the lower end of the cook time.
Keeping and reheating
Leftover Malfoof keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container — store the rolls with their broth so they don’t dry out. To reheat, put them back in a covered pot over low heat with a few tablespoons of the broth or water for about 10 minutes, or microwave covered on medium power. For freezing, let the rolls cool completely, then freeze in portions with some broth for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The texture holds up better than most stuffed dishes after freezing, because the rice and meat filling stays compact.
Appetizing Malfoof (Stuffed Cabbage)
Ingredients
1 medium cabbage
1 cup rice
1½ pounds ground beef (minced beef)
2 bulbs garlic - minced- 2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Sea salt
2 tablespoons cardamom
½ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- In a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt, the rice, and hot water (from the tap) and let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Place the cabbage on a cutting board to core side up.
- Beginning at the core, make 4 vertical cuts across the cabbage.
- Fill pot with water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar and boil.
- Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and add the cabbage.
- Every 3 minutes, use a tong to remove one layer of the cabbage and place it in a colander to drain (you will need to make more vertical cuts as the cabbage boils).
- Rinse the rice (that has been soaking) in a rice colander and drain.
- Add the rice, meat, spices, and one garlic bulb (that has been minced) to a mixing bowl and combine.
- Use a knife to remove the ribs off of the cabbage leaves.
- Line your cooking pot with the ribs.
- Place one leaf at a time on a plate or cutting board (longer side facing you).
- Add 1 tablespoon of filling onto the edge of each leaf (the longer side facing you).
- Roll the leaf over the stuffing once before folding it in from the left and the right.
- Continue to roll the leaf tightly until you have rolled the entire leaf
- Stack the stuffed cabbage rolls, seam side down, in your pot.
- Once you’re done stuffing, boil water (about 7 cups) in a water boiler.
- In the meantime, add 1 cup of lemon juice and the other garlic bulb (that has been minced) to your pot.
- Add the boiled water to your pot (just below the top layer of stuffed cabbage rolls).
- Turn your stove on high heat.
- Once the water reaches a boil in the pot, lower the heat, cover the stuffed cabbage rolls with a plate (backside up), and cover with a lid.
- Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I prep the rolls ahead of time and cook them later?
Yes — roll them the day before, cover tightly, and refrigerate uncooked for up to 24 hours. This is actually a practical way to break up the work, since the rolling is the most time-consuming part.
Do I have to use raw rice in the filling, or can I use cooked rice?
Use raw, uncooked rice. It absorbs the meat juices and broth as it cooks inside the roll, which is what gives the filling its texture. Cooked rice will overcook and go mushy before the meat reaches 160°F (71°C).
My cabbage head is small — can I use the inner leaves that are too small to roll?
Use them to line the bottom of the pot instead of discarding them. They protect the rolls from scorching on the base and add flavor to the broth — the same job the tougher ribs do.
Can I make this without meat to keep it vegetarian?
Yes — replace the ground beef with an equal volume of cooked lentils or a mix of lentils and chickpeas. Keep all the spices and the lemon-garlic broth the same; the flavor profile holds up well without the meat.
More mince recipes to try
- Savory Stuffed Onion Dolma
- Savory Lebanese Lamb Pastries
- Levantine Lamb Za’atar Flatbread
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
