My sister’s mother-in-law, from Egypt, made these stuffed zucchini many years ago, and I've been dreaming about the flavor that was dancing on my tongue when I ate this dish. I decided to put a recipe together to mimic the flavor of the dish I had so many years ago. This is a delicious recipe that includes protein, vegetables and rice, all in one bite.
Don't forget to make the Matabal Kousa (zucchini yogurt) to go with this dish and serve with either warm pita bread or naan for dipping.
Stuffed Zucchini with meat/rice - Egyptian Style (Kousa Mahshi)
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Category
Meat
Servings
4
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
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1/2 cup white rice (Uncle Ben's), uncooked
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1 large potato, sliced
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1 - 15 oz jar chopped tomatoes
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1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
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6 garlic cloves, minced
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8 small zucchini
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1 lb. ground beef or lamb or a mixture of beef/lamb
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1/2 onion, shredded
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1 T. fresh parsley, minced
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1 T. fresh mint, minced
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1 teaspoon salt
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pinch of pepper
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1 teaspoon all spice
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1/2 teaspoon paprika
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 lemon, juiced
Directions
Add 1/2 cup rice to a measuring cup and cover with water. Let soak for 15 minutes..
In a large Dutch oven, slice potatoes and lay on the bottom of the pan. This helps to prevent the zucchini from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and they are a good addition. Mix together the can of diced tomatoes,1/2 can of tomato paste and 3 garlic cloves and pour over the potatoes. Bring to a simmer while you prepare the zucchini.
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and some pulp (set aside). I used an apple corer. Set zucchini aside and keep the pulp in a separate bowl so you can make the Mutabal Kousa (zucchini yogurt dip).
In a small bowl, combine meat, onion, 3 cloves garlic, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, allspice, paprika and cayenne pepper. Drain the uncooked rice and add to this mixture. Mix until combined.
Stuff zucchini with meat/rice mixture. Once the zucchini is stuffed either lay them in your pan open faced or push together both sides of the zucchini, putting the zucchini back together with the meat keeping them together. Place the zucchini into the pan on top of the potatoes.
Mix together the other half can of tomato paste with a can of water, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Pour this over top of the zucchini so the zucchini are covered in sauce.
Let this simmer on the stove for 45 minutes with the lid on.
Recipe Note
I had some extra meat mixture left over, so I made meatballs and laid them on top of the filled zucchini. They cooked in the juice and steamed.
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