Kousa Mehshi

Kousa Mehshi (Stuffed Zucchini) is an Arabic main dish and widely spread in the mediterranean region . Here is a step by step recipe about cooking Kousa Mehshi.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (32 oz) medium zucchini
• 200 g (7 oz) minced meat
• 1 cup short grain rice, washed
• 1 kg (32 oz) red tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tspns salt
• a dash of ground allspice and black pepper (as desired)
• a dash of ground cinnamon (as desired)
• 1 tbls shortening or butter
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed with a dash of salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 tbls lemon juice
  

Preparation:

• Wash well zucchini. Remove stems using a knife. Hollow out using an apple corer. Wash zucchini inside and out. Drain. Filling: Mix minced meat with rice. Stir in salt and spices.
• Stuff zucchini, shake each after filling it so that the filling is well distributed (don™t over stuff). Arrange in a pot. Invert a plate on top.
• Strain tomatoes using a colander. Add 2 cups of water, shortening, and a dash of salt. Place tomato juice in a pot over medium heat. When it boils, add to zucchini. Cook for 1 hour, or until tender. Add crushed garlic and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Serve zucchini and sauce hot separately or together in a large bowl.