Egyptian Mahshi Kromb (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

5 from 5 votes

Egyptian Mahshi Kromb (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

This Egyptian mahshi kromb recipe is made with herb flavored tomato rice rolled with tender cabbage leaves and simmered in homemade duck broth or chicken broth.

Servings:

Ingredients

2 medium cabbage heads
3 cups Calrose rice short grain rice
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves only
1 cup chopped parsley leaves only
1 cup chopped dill
2 medium onions
6 tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bouillon cube
6 cups homemade chicken broth or duck broth vegetable broth for vegan
1 spicy pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Cabbage Leaves

Heat a very large pot of water on the stovetop. Cut into the cabbage head about 2 inches deep, removing the center of the cabbage. Put the whole head into the boiling water. Be careful to lower slowly so that the water doesn't splash. Using 2 forks, peel the outer layer of the cabbage and set aside.
Repeat with the other cabbage head. An alternative way of preparing the cabbage is to remove the cabbage leaves prior to cooking. Then boil the leaves until they are tender.

Make the Rice Stuffing

Chop dill, parsley, and cilantro into fine pieces. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend 2 peeled onions. The onions will be more grainy than if you had put them in the blender. In a blender, blend the tomatoes to a pulp. Strain the tomato mixture into a bowl.
In a large stovetop pot, add olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for about 10 minutes.
Mix in the strained tomato mixture, bouillon cube, and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Add the chopped parsley, dill, cilantro, and rice. Turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat, and allow to cool off. I usually put the rice into another bowl to cool faster.

Roll the Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

On each cabbage leave, cut out the rigid stem. The cut will look like an elongated triangle. For the largest leave, you will cut the cabbage leaf into 3 sections. For medium cabbage leaves, you will cut into 2 sections, and for the smallest cabbage leaves, you will not cut at all.
In a large pot, place cabbage stems and some of the smallest cabbage leaves on the bottom. This layer protects the bottom rolled cabbage leaves from burning when cooking.
Put about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture at the end of a cabbage leave. Roll and tuck in the sides. Place the rolled cabbage leaves in the pot making a circle with the seam side down, going layer by layer. Once all of the leaves have been rolled, slice a spicy pepper and add to the top.

Cook the Rolled Leaves

Add a small plate face-down onto the cabbage leaves. This helps the leaves from unraveling while they are cooking. Pour roughly 6 cups of boiling broth, or until the liquid completely covers the stuffed cabbage rolls. Turn the stovetop to medium-high heat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
Crack the lid on the pot to allow steam to escape. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Notes

This recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian if using vegetable broth in lieu of chicken broth or duck broth.

Nutrition