Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce (Kousa Mahshi)

1Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini, cut off the stem ends and hollow them out with a corer, leaving walls 3–4 mm thick.
2. Rinse the rice and drain it well.
3. Mix the rice with the lamb, ghee, spices, salt and pepper by hand until evenly combined.
4. Stuff each zucchini only three-quarters full, leaving room for the rice to swell.

2Cooking

1. Lay the stuffed zucchini side by side in a wide pot.

   ⏱ 2 min timer
2. Mix the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water and salt, pour over the zucchini to cover, and weigh them down with an upturned plate.

   ⏱ 2 min timer
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low until the rice is cooked and the zucchini is completely tender.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 50 min timer
4. Mix the crushed garlic with the mint and lemon juice, stir into the sauce and simmer gently.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 5 min timer

3Serving

1. Arrange the zucchini in a deep dish and spoon the tomato sauce over them.
2. Serve with flatbread and yogurt.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: filling the zucchini to the top — they burst as the rice swells.
• Check doneness by tasting rice from the centre of one zucchini.
• Don't throw away the scooped flesh — fry it with eggs or onions.

🔁 Substitutions

• Minced beef can replace the lamb.
• Grate 4 fresh tomatoes instead of the canned ones.