Stuffed zucchini

Name: Stuffed zucchini
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 4 medium green zucchinis; 2 large spanish onions, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 100ml olive oil; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 125g long grain rice; 250g lamb mince; 800g tinned chopped tomato; 1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped; sea salt; freshly ground white pepper; natural yoghurt or labna

Jane and Jeremy Strode

March 8, 2019

Zucchini stuffed with lamb and rice.Natalie Boog

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

This is based on a Lebanese classic called koussa mashi, which uses a small bulbous type of zucchini. I've adapted it to common green zucchini and you can use yoghurt or labna for added interest.

Ingredients

4 medium green zucchinis
2 large spanish onions, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100ml olive oil
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g long grain rice
250g lamb mince
800g tinned chopped tomato
1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
natural yoghurt or labna

Method

Cut the stalk end off zucchini and hollow out centre with a melon baller. Roughly chop removed pulp and reserve.
Season and gently cook 1 spanish onion and 2 garlic cloves in 50ml olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Add half the allspice and cinnamon and all the rice, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix well with the mince and half the zucchini pulp.
Stuff the zucchini with the mince mixture and set aside.
To make tomato sauce, season and cook remaining onion, garlic, allspice and cinnamon in remaining oil until soft. Add tomato and remaining zucchini pulp and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add mint and stuffed zucchinis to the sauce and simmer for 35 minutes. Serve with yoghurt or labna.