Learn how to stuff cabbage leaves to turn them into delicious Arabic cabbage rolls (known as Malfouf). Find different stuffing recipes to use when rolling the leaves. From the tangy Yalanji filling, to the meaty rice stuffing (made vegan).

Why Stuff Cabbage?

It’s a versatile vegetable that can be turned into slaws and salads, used in soups & stews, stuffed into cabbage rolls, and much more. When the leaves are *lightly* blanched and cooled down, they become soft and tender with a slightly sweet kick to its flavour. Great to stuff with many different fillings.

There are many cultural recipes that turn it into rolls. Each cuisine has their own take on the dish, with a delicious unique filling. Sometimes even more than one delectable stuffing with different explosive flavours.

Cabbage rolls happen to be one of my favourite ways to make use of it. Depending on the filling, they can be enjoyed for an appetizer, lunch, or even dinner. My go-to fillings to stuff cabbage rolls are the classic lemon garlicky meaty Malfouf (made vegan), and the tangy vegetable rice filling (called Yalanji).

Continue reading to find out everything you need to know on how to stuff cabbage rolls.

What You’ll Need

Green cabbage: Soft light green/white works best for stuffing. Avoid using leafy and crinkly dark green cabbage.

Kitchen knife: Use a paring knife to cut off the core and stems.

Large pot: A medium or large pot filled with boiling water to blanch.

Kitchen hammer: A rolling pin or mallet. Or any heavy object to flatten down the stem on the small leaves.

Preparing The Cabbage

Wash the head to remove any dirt. Cut around the core using a knife, going in at a slight angle. Twist by hand to pop out.

Blanching The Leaves

Carefully drop it into a pot of boiling water. Use silicon tongs to handle. Separate the leaves as they will quickly start to soften.

Pull them out one at a time, blanching for an additional minute before removing into a plate to cool down. Stick a fork in the centre of the core to help hold the cabbage in place.

How To Stuff Cabbage Rolls

Once the leaves are cool enough to handle, smash the bottom of the small ones with a dough roller to flatten the stem.

If the leaf is too large, cut out the stem instead (save it for the pot), then cut the leaf in half so it’s ready to stuff with the filling.

Spread a heaping teaspoon’s worth of the rice filling to the bottom centre of each leaf. Fold over the bottom, tuck in the sides, then roll it up. You’ll want to make sure it’s rolled tightly, yet not too pressed together, as the rice will expand when cooking.

Continue stuffing and rolling the rest of the leaves, sitting in a container (tightly), until ready to cook. Find recipes of different fillings to choose which you want to use first to make Malfouf!

What To Stuff Cabbage With?

Traditional cabbage rolls are stuffed with a rice filling combined with either meat or vegetables. The Arabic dish of the meaty version is called Malfouf (made with lemon garlicky flavours). The naturally-vegan variation is known as Yalanji. Another popular Middle Eastern dish take is cooked in a rich tomato sauce.

Video Tutorial

Watch the detailed steps in this short video:

Hope you found this guide helpful to assist you in making Malfouf. Stay tuned for more delicious filling recipes to stuff the cabbage rolls with.

If you end up trying this recipe to make Malfouf (regardless of the filling you choose), don’t forget to snap a photo and share it with me @thePlantBasedArab on Instagram, so we can share your remake!

Drop a comment below for any questions you may have, or to rate this recipe with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

How To Stuff Cabbage Rolls

Recipe by Waseem HijaziCuisine: Arabic, Middle EasternDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

50

leaves

Prep time

1

hour 

Learn how to stuff cabbage leaves to turn them into delicious Arabic cabbage rolls (known as Malfouf). Find different stuffing recipes to use when rolling the leaves. From the tangy Yalanji filling, to the meaty rice stuffing (made vegan).

What you’ll need

• 1 small head of green cabbage (light green/white)

• Water to boil – for blanching

• Large pot

• Kitchen knife

• Rolling pin / Mallet

Instructions

• Wash the cabbage head to remove any dirt. Cut off the core using a knife, going in at a slight angle to help pop out.
• Carefully drop it into a pot of boiling water. Use silicon tongs to handle. Separate the leaves as they will quickly start to soften.
• Pull them out one at a time, blanching for an additional minute before removing into a plate to cool down. Stick a fork in the centre of the core to help hold the cabbage in place.
• Once the leaves are cool enough to handle, smash the bottom of the small ones with a dough roller to flatten the stem. If the leaf is too large, cut out the stem instead (save it for the pot), then cut the leaf in half.
• Spread a heaping teaspoon’s worth of the rice filling to the bottom centre of each leaf. Fold over the bottom, tuck in the sides, then roll it up.

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