Dad’s favorite dish

One of my dad’s favorite dishes was “Meksje” and it was one of the few things (besides cake) he would truly indulge, easily eating two plates full without any shame!

His birthday is coming up this Saturday and in his honor, I’m sharing this recipe today. He was half Lebanese and my Javanese mom learned how to cook this dish from his mom and sisters. Of course the style and flavor evolved and became very different from the traditional versions I listed below.

One meal in a roll

Each cabbage roll is a meal in itself, stuffed with rice and meat, loaded with flavor. Just a heads up, that this is NO quick dish! It takes time to prep and cook Meksje, and I recommend to get your friends or sisters together to try it out. If you love cabbage, you will love how these rolls melt in your mouth.

WARNING: You won’t stop eating them! (don’t say you didn’t know 🙂 )

By the way, the name Meksje is our own and not entirely correct, as I discovered when browsing for other recipes. The real name is Mashi Malfouf or Meshi Malfouf, with Meshi being the closest name for our version. At least we didn’t make it up! 🙂

Stuffed cabbage rolls (Lebanese)

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Ingredients

1 cabbage with tender leaves
1 lb beef stew cut in tiny cubes (or ground beef)
1 stalk celery or 1/2 cup parsley, chopped fine
1 small tomato chopped fine
1 onion chopped fine
1 head garlic chopped fine
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp or cubes bouillon
1.5 tsp salt
1 egg
4 tbsp butter
1 cup rice
4 cups water

Instructions

Boil water in a pot that fits the whole cabbage
Remove core (center) of cabbage
Blanch the cabbage, take out leaves as they separate and get flexible/tender enough to roll. Place on a plate to cool off.
Trim the thick veins with a sharp knife, because they'll make it hard to make the rolls tight enough.
Cut the leaves in half or smaller, but big enough to roll the filling.
Use discarded veins or ripped leaves to cover the bottom of your pot.
Rinse the rice a few times until clear.
Mix all ingredients except the cabbage, half the bouillon and 3/4 of the garlic.
Add salt to taste
Add a spoonful of the filling on a leaf and roll it up, but not too tight as the rice will expand.
Place rolls in the pot with the folded edges down.
Royally sprinkle chopped garlic and bouillon between each layer, except top layer.
Add water, barely covering the rolls.
Cook on high until almost dry. Add a teaspoon of butter and more bouillon as needed.
Cover, reduce heat and continue to cook for 15-30 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Other, more traditional resources than my own family:

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