Cabbage Stew

Ingredients

• 4 kg cabbage
• 1 kg rice
• ½ kg meat
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp mahlab
• 2 tsp cumin
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 liters water
• 2 tsp salt for the broth
• 1 tsp pepper for the broth
• juice of 5 lemons lemon juice
• tsp cumin for the broth
• to taste garlic for the broth
• slices lamb tail fat
• 3 tbsp mint

Instructions

1. Remove the core from the head of cabbage with a knife, then separate the leaves from the core.
2. Place the cabbage head in a large pot of water boiling over the heat, then loosen the leaves one by one in the pot, pouring hot water over them until they soften only.
3. Remove the cabbage leaves from the pot and lay them out separately so that their heat and steam can escape.
4. Soak the rice in a bowl for approximately 1 to 1½ hours, then drain it.
5. Cut the thick ribs from the cabbage leaves with kitchen scissors.
6. Cut the cabbage leaves into pieces suitable for stuffing with kitchen scissors.
7. Place the drained rice in the mixing bowl.
8. Add the meat to the mixing bowl with the rice.
9. Add the finely crushed garlic to the mixing bowl with the rice and meat.
10. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, mahlab, ghee, and vegetable oil to the mixing bowl, then mix the stuffing gently so that the rice grains do not break.
11. Place some filling on each cabbage piece, then roll it in the direction of the leaf veins without tightly folding in the sides.
12. If any filling remains, gather it into a bundle and place it inside the pot.
13. Arrange the slices of lamb tail fat on the bottom of the pot.
14. Wash the heads or cloves of garlic and arrange them over the tail fat on the bottom of the pot.
15. Arrange the stuffed cabbage rolls over the tail fat and garlic in the pot.
16. Mix the water with the broth salt, broth pepper, broth cumin, and mahlab in a bowl or pitcher until the seasonings dissolve.
17. Place a weight over the cabbage in the pot so that the pieces remain submerged and do not come apart.
18. Pour the broth into the pot over the cabbage.
19. Place the pot over high heat until it begins to boil.
20. When the pot boils, reduce the heat to slightly above low, then cover the pot and leave it until cooked through.
21. After cooking, add the crushed garlic to the pot.
22. After cooking, add the mint to the pot.
23. After checking that it is cooked through, add the lemon juice to the pot.
24. Add the remaining water to the pot if necessary.
25. Cover the pot and leave it over the heat for 10 to 15 minutes so that the broth absorbs the sour flavor.
26. Remove the weight from the pot.
27. Drain the broth from the pot when serving.
28. Invert the cabbage rolls onto a tray or serving platter and serve hot.