This Stuffed Cabbage Bowl is my weeknight answer to Mahshi, the Egyptian stuffed cabbage dish I have never stopped craving. Every flavor is here. Spiced ground beef, parboiled rice, cabbage, tomato paste, lemon, cumin, and fresh dill. All cooked together in one pot until the rice absorbs every bit of that deeply seasoned broth. No rolling, no stuffing, no two hours in the kitchen. Just all the comfort of the original in a fraction of the time.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Stuffed Cabbage Bowl
🕒 Ready In: ~ 40minutes
👪 Serves: 6 servings
🍽 Calories: ~ 637 per serving (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Cabbage, ground beef, cumin, onions, lemon, dill
👌 Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Mahshi was my favorite dish while I was pregnant with my first son in Egypt. The combination of lemony spiced rice and meat wrapped in tender cabbage leaves is one of those flavors that stays with you forever. This bowl version captures everything that makes Mahshi so good and turns it into something a busy family can have on a Tuesday night.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
All the flavor of Mahshi, none of the rolling. This bowl captures every spiced lemony bite of the Egyptian classic and puts it on the table in 45 minutes. No stuffing, no fuss, just the good part.
One pot wonder. Everything cooks together and the parboiled rice absorbs all that deeply seasoned broth as it simmers. Less cleanup, more time to actually sit down and eat.
Even better the next day. Add a splash of broth, a fresh squeeze of lemon, and it tastes like you just made it.
Stuffed Cabbage Bowl Video
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Ingredient Notes
Cabbage: Green cabbage is the traditional choice for Mahshi and it is what you want here. It becomes silky and slightly sweet as it cooks in the spiced broth and it absorbs the lemon and cumin in a way that makes it taste completely different from raw cabbage. Do not chop it too fine or it will disappear into the rice. You want pieces you can actually see and taste.
Parboiled Rice: The same variety I use across my recipes, and the reason the rice in this dish comes out perfectly fluffy every single time. Parboiled rice is partially cooked before milling which means it holds its shape beautifully during a long simmer and rarely turns mushy or clumps together. It is also more forgiving than regular long-grain rice if your liquid ratio is slightly off.
Ground Beef: One pound browned until properly caramelized before anything else goes in. Do not rush the browning step. Ground beef that is cooked too fast on too high a heat steams rather than caramelizes and you lose the deep savory flavor that the dish is built on.
Tomato Paste: Cooked tomato paste tastes deep, sweet, and rich. It is the flavor backbone of the dish, and cooking it properly is what makes the difference between a good bowl and a great one. The same technique I use in my Baked Red Pepper and Garlic Drumsticks where the tomato paste does equally important work.
Lemon Juice: Lemon is used generously across Egyptian cooking and it is what gives stuffed cabbage its characteristic tangy brightness that cuts through the richness of the beef and tomato paste. If you love that bright lemony finish in a rice dish, my Pearl Couscous Tabbouleh uses the same approach with beautiful results.
Cumin: The spice that says Egypt more than anything else in this dish. Cumin is one of the most used spices across North African and Middle Eastern cooking and it adds a warm, earthy depth that is completely at home with the beef, cabbage, and lemon.
Fresh Dill and Cilantro: Fresh dill is deeply associated with stuffed cabbage and rice dishes across the Middle East and Mediterranean. It has a light, slightly anise-like flavor that is very specific and very correct here. The cilantro adds a bright herby note alongside it. If cilantro is not your thing, flat-leaf parsley works perfectly. (No judgment. Cilantro is divisive and we respect that haha)
Garlic Yogurt: The cool creamy counterpoint that makes every bite of the hot spiced bowl feel complete. The same garlic yogurt I use in my One Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice -- plain Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. It is optional in the way that butter on toast is optional. Technically true, practically unthinkable.
Pro tip
The Secret to the Perfect Bowl
Taste right before serving and add a fresh squeeze of lemon. The flavors mute slightly during the long simmer and a little fresh lemon juice right before serving brings everything back to life.
Substitutions & Variations
No ground beef? Ground lamb is a great substitute. It has a deeper, slightly gamier flavor that works beautifully with the cumin and lemon. Ground turkey works for a lighter version, but add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to compensate for the lower fat content.
Want to add more vegetables? Diced tomatoes stirred in with the cabbage add a sweetness and extra body to the broth that works beautifully in this dish. A handful of frozen peas folded in at the very end adds color and a pop of sweetness.
No beef broth? Chicken broth works well here. The flavor will be slightly lighter but still very good. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning since chicken broth is usually less rich than beef broth.
FAQ
Either the heat was too low, or the lid was lifted during cooking and steam escaped. If the rice is still firm and the liquid is absorbed, add a quarter cup of warm broth, replace the lid, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. If there is still liquid in the pot just replace the lid and give it more time.
You can but the texture will be less forgiving. Regular long grain rice can turn mushy in a 30 minute simmer with this much liquid. Parboiled rice is specifically what keeps the grains separate and fluffy in a dish like this. If you only have regular rice reduce the broth by half a cup and check it at the 20-minute mark.
Yes and it is actually better the next day when the flavors have had time to develop further. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a small splash of beef broth when reheating to loosen the rice and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice before serving to brighten the flavors back up.
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⭐️ Recipe
Stuffed Cabbage Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4.5 cups green cabbage roughly chopped
- 2 cups parboiled rice
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- ½ tablespoon low sodium beef bouillon
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped (or flat leaf parsley)
Garlic yogurt
- 1 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cook the onion and garlic
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds stirring constantly so it does not burn.1 medium onion, 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 4 garlic cloves
Brown the beef
- Add the ground beef to the pot and increase the heat slightly to medium high. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the beef is deeply browned and any liquid it released has evaporated completely. Do not rush this step. Properly browned beef adds a depth of flavor that grey steamed beef cannot replicate.1 lb ground beef
Cook the tomato paste
- Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the beef and onion mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a deep brick red and smells sweet and rich rather than raw and sharp. This step is what gives the dish its depth so take the full 2 minutes.3 tablespoon tomato paste
Add the rice and cabbage
- Add the parboiled rice directly to the pot and stir to coat it in the beef and tomato mixture. Let it toast for 1 minute stirring regularly. Add the chopped cabbage and stir to combine. Let the cabbage sit in the dry heat for 1 to 2 minutes so it wilts slightly and picks up the flavors of the beef and spices before the liquid goes in.2 cups parboiled rice, 4.5 cups green cabbage
- Add the fresh dill, cilantro, beef bouillon, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir well to distribute the spices evenly through the beef, rice, and cabbage.½ tablespoon low sodium beef bouillon, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ cup fresh dill, 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon cumin
- Pour in the beef broth and fresh lemon juice. Stir everything together making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Taste the broth at this stage and adjust salt if needed. It should taste well seasoned and slightly tangy from the lemon.4 cups low sodium beef broth, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
Simmer
- Bring to a boil then bring heat to medium. After 25 minutes, remove the lid. The liquid should be fully absorbed and the rice should be fluffy and cooked through. If there is still liquid in the pot replace the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice before serving. This final hit of lemon brings everything back to life after the long simmer.
Make the garlic yogurt
- While the rice simmers, stir together the Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. The yogurt should be creamy, tangy, and garlicky. Set aside until ready to serve.1 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, Pinch of salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Serve
- Spoon the stuffed cabbage bowl into deep bowls and serve immediately with a generous dollop of garlic yogurt on the side or directly on top. Garnish with extra fresh dill or cilantro if you like.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!