You do not need to heat the oven, these cabbage rolls are cooked on top of the stove. You can do most of the preparation, including filling and assembling cabbage rolls the day before (I'll tell you everything about it in a little).
How to prepare Mahshi cabbage for filling
This recipe uses green cabbage, which is available almost all year round, but especially during the autumn and winter months.
To make cabbage rolls, you need to start preparing cabbage, soften and separate cabbage leaves, and then cut them to the desired size.
In this recipe, we simply begin to scald the whole head of cabbage in boiling water. The first layer of leaves will begin to soften in about a few minutes, use a few tweezers to remove them.
The process is simply repeated from there (be sure to watch the video below). Once the cabbage leaves have cooled, we cut them to the desired size from there.
You can serve cabbage rolls that are the size of a bite and easy to handle. They are absolutely divine!
What is in the filling of Mahshi cabbage rolls?
The secret of these rolls of stuffed cabbage in the Mediterranean style is in the filling. As I said before, it is a vegetarian rice filling that is great in the Mediterranean flavors of fresh herbs and spices.
Here's what's
Long-grain rice -Grated onions
-Chopped tomatoes
-Fresh stuffing herbs: lots of chopped fresh parsley and dill
- Spices: a combination of cumin, Jamaican chili pepper and a touch of cayenne, add depth and flavor
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used private reserve extra virgin Greek olive oil)
- Sauce tomato (some prefer with little garlic) and a little water. The liquid here helps rice to cook properly
Mahshi Ingredients:
• bring 1 medium green cabbage
• Water
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• ½ cup grated yellow onion
• 1 diced tomato or chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup chopped fresh dill
• salt and pepper
• 1 15 oz tomato sauce, divided
• 1 medium sliced yellow onion
• 1-2 sliced (shredded) Roma tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons ground cumin, more for later
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper, more to taste
• ½ tbsp cayenne pepper, more to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ground Jamaican pepper
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (see our Greek olive oil option here) with one lemon.
Pre Preparation
1. Remove and discard the first cabbage leaves. Wash in cold water. Cut about ¼” from the bottom of the head and place the entire head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil about 2 minutes. Peel off the softened leaves with tweezers. Continue the same process, peel the bleached layers of cabbage leaves as they soften. Set aside to cool briefly.
2. Once cooled, cut each cabbage leaf into halves or third, removing thick veins.
3. Now prepare the rice filling mixture. In a large bowl, combine rice, grated onions, chopped tomato, herbs, salt and pepper, spices, oil, ½ can of tomato sauce and ¼ cup water. Mix with a spoon.
4. Lightly & gently grease a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Align the bottom with sliced onions and sliced tomatoes
5. Take a piece of cabbage and place them on a flat surface, thick side up. Add 1 teaspoon (plus if the leaves are larger) of the rice filling mixture to the end of the leaf closest to you
6. Roll the sheet to completely close the filling. Repeat with the remaining cabbage. Place the cabbage rolls, sew down, in the prepared Dutch oven. Top with the remaining ½ can of tomato sauce and about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cup of water (water should barely reach the top layer of cabbage rolls). Add a pinch of ground cumin.
7. Cover the cabbage rolls with a small dish. Cook over high heat for 5-7 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low. Leaving the small plate inside, and cover the jar with its own lid. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the dish but cover only with the lid.
Cook for another 15 minutes or until the liquid is completely absorbed and the rice filling mixture is cooked. If you are not in a hurry, leave the cabbage rolls intact before transferring them to a serving dish or individual dishes. Enjoy!
Let's walk step by step to make these stuffed cabbage rolls in the Egyptian style:
step by step for vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls:
1. Prepare cabbage leaves. Remove and discard the first cabbage naturally leaves. Cut a little from the end about ¼” inch and place the cabbage in boiling water. Cook for a few minutes until the outer layer of cabbage leaves is tender. Remove, using tweezers. Repeat the process until the last layer of sheets. Allow aside to cool briefly. Once cooled, cut each cabbage leaf in two or thirds, removing thick veins.
the Mahshi rice stuffing
2. Now prepare the rice filling mixture. In a large bowl, combine rice, grated onions, herbs, spices, oil, ½ can tomato sauce and ¼ cup water. Mix with a spoon.
3. Prepare a Dutch oven or a saucepan. Lightly grease a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Align the bottom with a few cabbage leaves, sliced onions and sliced tomatoes (this serves as a good bed for our small cabbage leaves.)
4. Now start rolling cabbage leaves. Take a piece of cabbage and place them on a flat surface, thick side up. Add about 1 teaspoon of the rice filling mixture to the end of the leaf closest to you. Roll the cabbage leaf to completely close the filling. Fold on the sides like your roll. Repeat with the remaining pieces or cabbage leaves.
Rolling Mahshi
5. Arrange the cabbage rolls in a prepared saucepan. Place the cabbage rolls, sew down, in the prepared Dutch oven or in the pan. Cover the cabbage rolls with the remaining ½ can of tomato sauce, and about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups of water (water should reach the top layer of cabbage rolls). Sprinkle a pinch of more ground cumin.
6. Prepare to cook cabbage rolls. A useful advice from my mother: cover the cabbage rolls with a small dish, this holds them well in place and prevents them from opening or getting dirty. Cook over high heat for 5-7 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low. Leave the small plate inside and cover the jar with its own lid. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the dish, but cover it again with only the lid. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the liquid is completely absorbed and rice filling is cooked.
7. If you are not in a hurry, leave the cabbage rolls intact for about 10-15 minutes, then transfer them to a serving tray or individual dishes.
Can I prepare these cabbage rolls in advance?
It takes a little time to roll cabbage leaves, so you can absolutely do this part overnight in advance. Assemble the stuffed cabbage leaves in the pot in which you intend to cook them, but do not add the sauce or water until ready to cook.
Cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready to cook, cover the cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and add water. Follow the cooking instructions.
What to serve along?
I often serve these cabbage rolls as the main vegetarian. To start the meal worth trying optionally with: add a large salad like Fattoush from our choice or Balela and a hearty Mediterranean dip like Baba Ganoug pick up with your favorites Mahshi fingers.