Cabbage and Rice

I had a half head of cabbage in need of cooking and we haven't had rice and a few days. So I decided to make Kalam-Polow or cabbage and rice. Normally this would be made with some ground beef or lamb, but tonight I used lentils and leftover roast beef. Also forgot to buy onions so I'm using leeks. Since my husband isn't going to believe this hybrid is Iranian I figured why not add an apple too! So Kalam-Polow meets Himmel und Erde (Haven and Earth) is what's for dinner.


1 cups basmati rice, soaked for at least two hours with salt
1/2 cup brown lentils in a pot with 2 cups boiling water pored over, dash salt covered. They need to sit until soften (30min+) drain excess water.

Brown the following with the lentils:
1/2 small head green cabbage finely chopped.
1 leek finely chopped 1 portabella mushroom
1/4 cup beef
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs tomato juice
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp oil

Take off the heat and add a thinly sliced apple.

Thinly slice a potato and line the bottom a rice maker or pot with oil and potato.


Drain soaked rice and bring a big pot of water to boil. Add rice and boil until aledenta about 5 min. Drain the rice and rinse. Layer 1/3 of the rice on top of the potatoes then 1/2 of the cabbage lentil and repeat ending with rice. With the end of a wooden spoon make five steam wholes in the rice. Just stick the spoon in the rice! Put 1 tsp oil over the top. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the lid of the rice maker or pot and pop on top. Steam the rice for 30 min. I have a non-stick rice maker so my rice comes out like one nice cake. When using a pot use a non-stick one, or make life easy and just make normal rice and put the cabbage on top!!!

Here is my lovely cake of rice! Smelled so good and was well worth the effort!