Egyptian vegetarian cabbage rolls with herby tomato rice

Trim the thick stalks from 100 g dill and mince; repeat with 160 g parsley. Keep the stalks.

Puree 400 g canned tomatoes in a blender until smooth.

Mix three small-diced medium onions with 2 tbsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper in a mixing bowl.

Wash 2 cups medium grain rice until the water runs clear, drain, and mix in.

Mix in 200 g tomato paste, then the chopped parsley and dill, then the blended tomatoes.

Heat a quarter cup clarified butter (or oil) until almost smoking and pour into the filling (the 'tasha'); mix.

Peel off the outer cabbage leaves, cut out the core, and remove the leaves by pushing outward at the core; set aside the tough white centre leaves.

Boil the herb stems with 1 tsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds about 3 minutes to infuse.

Cook the leaves two or three at a time for 1 to 3 minutes, until they flop around the stem; pile on a tray to cool.

Cut out the stems and cut the leaves into squares about 8 cm by 8 cm.

Place a square ribs up, spread about a teaspoon of rice into a cylinder, and roll; trim oversized rolls. No need to fold the ends.

Optionally freeze the rolls for up to 6 months.

Line the pot with trimmed stalks or leaves as a sacrificial layer; lay the rolls in a spiral from the outside in, in full layers.

Cover and heat on medium with no liquid; after about 10 minutes the pot will be bubbling with liquid from the cabbage and rice.

Pour in vegetable stock to barely cover most of the rolls; bring to a boil on high, then cover and steam on low 20 to 30 minutes.

Taste a roll; evaporate any excess liquid over low heat. Optionally rest about half an hour, then invert onto a plate in one motion and serve hot.