Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini)
Kousa Mahshi is a classic Lebanese dish featuring tender zucchini hollowed out and filled with a savory mixture of seasoned rice and ground meat. It's then slow-cooked in a tangy tomato broth until the flavors meld beautifully. This comforting meal is perfect for a family dinner.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 439 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 8 pcszucchini, medium, cored
filling
- 250 gground beef, lean
- 1 cupshort grain rice, rinsed
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tspdried mint
- 0.5 tspallspice
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.25 cupwater
broth
- 800 gcanned crushed tomatoes
- 4 cupwater
- 0.25 cuplemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 clovegarlic, minced
- 1 tspdried mint
- 1 tspsalt
Equipment
zucchini corer · large bowl · large pot · whisk
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the zucchini by washing them thoroughly. Using a zucchini corer or a sturdy vegetable peeler, carefully hollow out the center of each zucchini, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell. Reserve the zucchini pulp for another use if desired.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: Be careful not to pierce through the zucchini walls.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, short grain rice, tomato paste, dried mint, allspice, black pepper, and salt for the filling. Add the water and mix thoroughly with your hands until well combined.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Mixing by hand ensures all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- 3
Carefully stuff each hollowed zucchini with the filling mixture. Do not overfill; leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top as the rice will expand during cooking.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: Use a spoon or your fingers to gently push the filling into the zucchini.
- 4
In a large pot or Dutch oven, arrange the stuffed zucchini snugly in a single layer if possible. If you have more zucchini than can fit in one layer, you can stack them carefully.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Arranging them tightly helps prevent them from floating during cooking.
- 5
In a separate bowl, whisk together the canned crushed tomatoes, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried mint, and salt for the broth. Pour this broth over the stuffed zucchini in the pot.
About 3 min
- 6
Place a heat-proof plate or a smaller lid directly on top of the zucchini to keep them submerged in the liquid. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat.
About 5 min
- 7
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the zucchini are tender and the rice is fully cooked.
About 1 hr
Cook’s note: Check for doneness by piercing a zucchini with a fork; it should be very tender.
- 8
Remove from heat and let the Kousa Mahshi rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle.
About 10 min
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 438.6kcal
- Protein
- 20.1g
- Carbs
- 59.6g
- Fat
- 13.9g
- Fibre
- 6.1g
- Sugar
- 16.3g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover Kousa Mahshi in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in a pot on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave until warmed through.
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