Egyptian Mahshi Kromb (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Method13 steps · about 2 hr 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring a very large pot of cabbage-boiling water to a boil. Cut about 2 inches into the core of the first medium cabbage head and remove the core. Slowly lower this head into the boiling water to avoid splashing. As the outer leaves become tender and pliable, use two forks to ease them off and set the cooked leaves aside.

   Uses 1 of the 2 medium cabbage heads · Water, enough to boil the cabbage heads in a large pot

2. 2

   Step 2: Core the second medium cabbage head and repeat step 1 in the same boiling water, lifting its leaves when tender and pliable. Add them to the first cooked leaves from step 1. Keep both heads' cooked leaves ready and discard the boiling water when finished.

   Uses The remaining medium cabbage head · Retained hot cabbage-boiling water · Cooked first-head cabbage leaves

3. 3

   Step 3: Prepare 1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, 1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves and 1 cup finely chopped dill. Keep the three herbs together for the rice stuffing.

   Uses 1 cup chopped cilantro (leaves only) · 1 cup chopped parsley (leaves only) · 1 cup chopped dill

4. 4

   Step 4: Peel and blend the 2 medium onions in a food processor until finely chopped but still grainy. Separately blend the 6 tomatoes to a pulp, then strain them into a bowl. Keep the onion mixture and strained tomato puree separate.

   Uses 2 medium onions · 6 tomatoes

5. 5

   Step 5: Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the blended onions from step 4 and cook for about 10 minutes.

   Cook the stuffing onions · 10 minUses 3 tbsp olive oil · Blended onions for the stuffing

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix the strained tomato puree from step 4 into the cooked onions and oil from step 5. Add the 1 bouillon cube, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

   Cook the covered stuffing sauce · 10 minUses Strained tomato puree for the stuffing · Cooked onions and olive oil · 1 bouillon cube · 2 tbsp tomato paste · 2 tsp salt · ½ tsp ground black pepper

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the chopped herbs from step 3 and the 3 cups uncooked Calrose rice to the tomato-onion sauce from step 6. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. The rice should still be partly cooked at this point; it finishes inside the cabbage rolls.

   Partly cook the rice stuffing · 5 minUses Chopped cilantro, parsley and dill · Cooked seasoned tomato-onion sauce · 3 cups uncooked Calrose short-grain rice

8. 8

   Step 8: Take the partly cooked herb rice from step 7 off the heat and transfer it to a shallow bowl so it cools quickly until comfortable to handle. Begin rolling promptly once it is workable. If assembly is delayed, refrigerate the filling rather than leaving it warm on the counter.

   Uses Partly cooked herb-tomato rice stuffing

9. 9

   Step 9: Take the drained cooked cabbage leaves from step 2. Cut out each rigid leaf stem and reserve these trimmings. Cut large leaves into about 3 usable pieces and medium leaves into about 2; keep the smallest leaves whole. Keep usable wrapping pieces separate from stems and small lining leaves.

   Uses Drained cooked cabbage leaves from both heads

10. 10

    Step 10: Line the bottom of a large cooking pot with the reserved cabbage stems and some small cabbage leaves from step 9. Keep the usable wrapping pieces separate for step 11.

    Uses Reserved cabbage stems and small lining leaves

11. 11

    Step 11: Put about 1 tablespoon cooled herb-rice filling from step 8 at the end of each usable cabbage piece from step 9. Roll, tucking in the sides. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in circles, layer by layer, over the pot lining from step 10. Continue as leaves and filling permit; keep any unused filling refrigerated for separate cooking. Slice the 1 spicy pepper and spread it over the rolls.

    Uses About 1 tbsp prepared stuffing per cabbage piece · Usable cooked cabbage wrapping pieces · Cabbage-lined cooking pot · 1 spicy pepper

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat enough ready chicken broth in a separate pot until boiling. Put a small heat-safe plate face-down over the stuffed rolls in the pot from step 11 to hold them in place. Pour in enough boiling broth to cover the rolls completely, using about 6 cups as a guide. Cover, bring the pot back to a simmer and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

    First covered cabbage-roll cook · 10 minUses Layered partly cooked-rice cabbage rolls, pepper and cabbage lining · Boiling ready chicken broth, about 6 cups or enough to cover the rolls

13. 13

    Step 13: Crack the lid of the cabbage-roll pot from step 12 so steam can escape. Cook for about 15–20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, until the rice inside a sample roll is fully cooked and tender. Continue if necessary. Serve the finished cabbage rolls; the batch is intended for about 8 portions, with the actual number of rolls depending on the leaves.

    Finish cooking the rice inside the rolls · 15 minUses Cabbage rolls with hot broth and lining