‘Wrapped in Cabbage’ – Meat, Cabbage, and Rice Dish - Makmour al-Malfouf

posted on: Sep 19, 2026

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

Syria offers a number of ‘makmour’ dishes, some cooked in tomato sauce and some cooked in yogurt sauce.  These would involve stuffing either eggplant or kousa (squash) and cooking them in a sauce of choice.

            Makmour al-Malfouf is a generations-old dish, another one of those meals that has been passed down from our great-great-grandparents, especially in the rural areas of Syria.  It is a popular ‘people’s’ meal, the ingredients readily available year-round.  Healthy and rich with vitamins, it’s also a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables.

Serves 6 to 8

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

3/4-pound ground lamb

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin

3/4 teaspoon Baharat

1 teaspoon dried crushed mint

3 tablespoons dibs rumman

4 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 cup white rice, soaked for one hour then drained well

3 1/4 cups boiling water

            In a deep saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low and cook the meat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon Baharat, 1/2 teaspoon mint and 1 1/2 tablespoons dibs rumman.  Stir together well with the meat and cook for about 10 minutes, or until meat is browned. 

            Stir in the cabbage and the remaining salt, pepper, cumin, mint and dibs rumman and cook over medium until cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

            Push cabbage to the sides of the saucepan and add the rice then turn the cabbage over the rice.  Add the boiling water, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow saucepan to sit for 10 minutes.

            Serve immediately.

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