I also make it vegetarian by removing the meat and adding chopped tomatoes, onions, and dry mint to the hashwa, plus Aleppo pepper if you want it spicy.
Ingredients
- 2 heads green cabbage about 1700 grams
- 3 heads garlic, peeled
Hashwah/stuffing
- 2 cups short grain rice rinsed and soaked
- 400 grams rough ground beef
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbs. 7 spice
- 1 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
- 3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tbs. Salt
- Cumin (optional)
- 1/2 cup mixed oil (olive oil and vegetable oil)
- 24 ounce lamb broth or water
Instructions
- Dry mint and lemon juice (optional).
- Bring a large pot of water to boiling. My method for cutting off the leaves is easy and the best way, cut deep slits around the root/center stick a carving fork in the root. Place the cabbage in the pot of water and start peeling the leaves with the tip of the knife as you go in the water, don’t force it boil for 30 seconds and remove the leaf and place in a tray. Continue until you finish the whole cabbage.
- Once you reach the center where the leaves are small remove the carving fork and let boil for 3 minutes then set aside on the tray.
- Start preparing the leaves by cutting the along the stem in 2 of large cut in 4.
- Prepare the hashwah/ filling by mixing the meat with the rice, meat, 1 cup of parsley, spices and oil, mix well.
- Start rolling as you see in the video do not, overfill. I like to get the rosette’s out of the way first. Cut the bottom of the root enough to where the leaves are attached, open the small cabbage like a flower, cut off the small bulb carefully. Fill with stuffing and close back again pressing between your palms.