Mom’s Heartwarming Cabbage Rolls

by Noor H. Salem

As the cold weather rolls in, the thought of ice cream, iced coffee, and a cold layered dip might not be what your cravings are leaning towards most. Warm soup, a hot cup of tea, and definitely some homemade malfoof will definitely hit home. Malfoof is a traditional Palestinian dish, which in Arabic is literally translated as “rolled up.”

The cabbage rolls are usually cooked, stuffed, rolled, then cooked once more until the filling is nice and tender. They are loaded with various benefits and are high in dietary fiber. Ground lamb has much more health benefits than ground beef, and if you are purchasing your meat conventional, it definitely has less genetically engineered ingredients and is higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

Unquestionably, purchasing 100% grass-fed lamb or beef is a much better option. In fact, a serving of grass-fed beef has an average three times the amount of vitamin E over conventionally-fed beef. You can add carrots to the filling for additional flavor and color, as well as to boost the nutritional value of the dish. Malfoof serves well with plain yogurt and salad.

Ingredients:

• 4 onions
• 2 garlic heads, peeled
• 2 cabbage heads
• 2 pounds grass-fed lamb, ground
• 4 cups organic basmati rice
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried mint
• 2 tablespoons Himalayan pink salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ground
• 1 teaspoon all spice, ground
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 lemons, freshly juiced

Directions:

1. Slice the onions and place them in a pressure cooker with the garlic. Set aside.
2. Wash the cabbage. Place in a large pot full of water face down and use a knife to cut a square across the core. Allow water to boil. The cabbage leaves will begin to fall apart alone. Remove from water and remove remaining leaves on your own, cutting them if necessary. Set aside.
3. Wash rice well in a large mixing bowl. Add lamb.
4. Wash and chop all vegetables. Add to the bowl along with lemon, oil, and spices. Mix well.
5. Roll a spoonful into each cabbage leaf, one at a time. Fold the two edges in, roll, and tighten. Place in the pressure cooker. Add about 5-6 cups water. Cook on high heat for 45-60 minutes.
6. Transfer to a serving platter; drizzle with lemon juice. Serve with salad and grass-fed yogurt.

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.