Kousa Mahshi — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender zucchini hollowed out and filled with spiced lamb and rice, simmered in a tangy tomato broth until perfectly tender. This beloved Bahraini dish showcases the Gulf love of stuffed vegetables.

Ingredients

8 medium zucchini
300g ground lamb
1/2 cup short-grain rice, rinsed
1 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp baharat
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tbsp ghee
Salt and pepper
2 cups water
Lemon juice for serving

Instructions

1 Hollow out the zucchini using a vegetable corer, leaving a thin shell. Be careful not to pierce through the bottom.
2 Mix ground lamb with rinsed rice, diced onion, baharat, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper for the filling.
3 Stuff each zucchini three-quarters full with the meat-rice mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand while cooking.
4 Arrange stuffed zucchini snugly in a pot. Mix tomato puree, tomato paste, ghee, and water, then pour over the zucchini.
5 Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the filling is cooked through.
6 Serve in deep plates with the tomato sauce ladled over, and a squeeze of lemon juice on top.

Did You Know?

In Bahrain, the skill of coring zucchini without breaking them is considered a rite of passage for new cooks in the family kitchen.