Iraqi Stuffed Zucchini Cousa Mashi Recipes

COUSA MASHI - ARABIC STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Soak the rice in warm water for at least 1/2 an hour.
• Drain rice and mix together with ground meat, spices and olive oil.
• Cut the tops off of the cousa and eggplant. Discard.
• Core cousa and eggplant scraping out the insides so 1/4 inch is left all around. (Insides of cousa can be saved for making cousa mutabbal. See end of recipe).
• Carefully cut tops of off green peppers so they can be replaced after stuffing.
• Clean insides of green peppers.
• Stuff vegetables with rice mixture leaving some room for the rice to expand when cooked.
• Fill large pot with vegetables.
• Cut tomatoes to fill blender.
• Add 2/3 blender with water.
• Add tomato paste and salt.
• Mix in blender until smooth.
• Pour tomato sauce over vegetables.
• Add more water if necessary to cover vegatables.
• Cook, uncovered, at a simmer for one and a half hours or until vegetables are soft and rice is done. As long as the sauce is there, you can cook slowly for a longer period for a tastier dish.
• Occasionally cover with additional water to keep sauce from drying out.
• Add crushed garlic and mint to pot for a few minutes.
• Serve stuffed vegetables on a tray.
• Put sauce in a serving bowl to be added if desired.
• Note: Do not put a lid on the vegetables until they are completely cool or they may burst open.
• Cousa Mutabbal, a salad served like hummus, can be made by simmering the contents of the cousa in a small saucepan until cooked. Add a little tahini, yogurt, salt and pepper. Serve with olive oil and crushed dried mint on top. Eat with pita bread.
• Fettat Cousa, a dish served in a 9x13 pan, can be served alongside as well, by tearing up small pieces of bread, generally pita, covered by the tomato sauce from the cousa mashi. Then cover with a sauce of yogurt, garlic, and salt. Top with pinenuts fried in olive oil (along with the oil).

IRAQI STUFFED ZUCCHINI (COUSA MASHI)

Steps:

• Wash and hollow out baby zucchini's cutting tops off where the stems grow. Put all together in a large pot. Discard innards.
• Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds and membrane. Add to pot including tops. Discard innards.
• Mix ground beef (CW rinses and drains), white Basmati rice, chopped onion, chopped flat leaf parsley, sea salt, to taste & baharat.
• Stuff each vegetable until just about full pressing lightly to make sure there are no air pockets. If you press to hard the result will be too dry.
• Cork each vegetable with stem end cutting to fit if too large. Return each.
• vegetable to the pot in as even a layer as possible.
• Keep remaining filling to side as it will be used in the sauce.
• Add tomato paste to some water and mix (whisk works best) until no lumps remain. Add to pot along with more water until just over top of the vegetables, Add some extra bahrat spice mix to taste, sea salt, and bring to the boil.
• Cover and cook until partially done adding remaining filling (it shouldn't be a lot) to the surrounding liquid so that once cooked it will form a sauce not a dry rice dish. So if needed add more water/sea salt. Boil/simmer until done.
• Remove vegetables and arrange on a large platter, spoon sauce around.
• Enjoy!

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Mix together the ground lamb, basmati rice, 2 tablespoons tomato puree, 1/2 teaspoon mint, salt, and pepper; mix well, and set aside.
• Slice the ends off of the zucchinis and hollow out the centers using an apple corer. Stuff with lamb mixture.
• Stir together the remaining tomato puree with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large skillet. Place the stuffed zucchini into the sauce, and add enough water to cover the zucchini. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of mint. Recover, and simmer an additional 15 minutes. To serve, cut the zucchini crosswise into rounds and arrange on a serving plate. Spoon sauce over the top.