🥒 Stuffed Zucchini (Mahshi Kousa)
Mahshi kousa is a Levantine and Egyptian dish of small zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with rice, minced lamb and warm spices, then simmered in a tomato sauce until tender. The zucchini become soft and the filling juicy and fragrant. It is served hot with some of the cooking sauce spooned over.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 small zucchini
- 150 g short-grain rice, rinsed
- 250 g minced lamb
- 400 g tomatoes, grated
- 1 tsp seven spices (allspice, cinnamon, pepper)
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt
Method
- Hollow out the zucchini with a corer, leaving thin walls.
- Mix the rice, lamb, spices, salt and a little grated tomato.
- Fill the zucchini about three-quarters full to leave room for the rice to swell.
- Lay them in a pot, add the remaining tomato, oil and water to cover.
- Simmer covered for about 45 minutes until the zucchini and rice are tender.
How to make it lighter
- Use lean minced lamb, or drain the fat from the sauce before serving.
- Keep the zucchini count up and the rice in the filling modest.
- Serve with salad rather than extra rice.
History
Stuffed zucchini is a staple of home cooking across Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt, with each region seasoning it slightly differently.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →