Best 2 Cousa Mashi Arabic Stuffed Zucchini Recipes
Embark on a culinary journey to the heart of the Levant with Cousa Mashi, a beloved dish that embodies the essence of Arabic cuisine. Cousa Mashi, meaning "stuffed zucchini" in Arabic, is a delightful symphony of flavors and textures that has captivated palates for centuries. This vegetarian delight features tender zucchini blossoms delicately stuffed with a savory mixture of rice, minced meat, aromatics, and herbs. The stuffed zucchini are then simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce, resulting in a dish that is both comforting and vibrant.
In this article, we present two enticing variations of Cousa Mashi: the classic Arabic recipe and a modern vegetarian interpretation. The classic recipe stays true to tradition, using a combination of ground beef and lamb for the stuffing, while the vegetarian version offers a delightful twist with a filling made entirely of lentils, vegetables, and herbs. Both recipes provide step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure your Cousa Mashi turns out perfect.
As you delve into the world of Cousa Mashi, you'll discover a dish that is not only delicious but also versatile. Serve it as a main course accompanied by fluffy rice or warm pita bread, or relish it as a flavorful side dish alongside grilled meats or roasted vegetables. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, Cousa Mashi is sure to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.
COUSA MASHI - ARABIC STUFFED ZUCCHINI
Cousa Mashi is what you serve the guests you like the most. A bit time consuming to make, but the results are worthwhile. While it is called cousa mashi, you should include some small eggplants and a couple green peppers for variety and to make the sauce taste amazing. Cousa is a squash like zucchini but lighter in color. You could substitute zucchini for cousa. The size for the vegetables should be from 4 to 5 inches long. The recipe comes from my Jordanian mother-in-law, who is renown for her wonderful cooking. In this part of the world, a generous person is also generous with the right spices.
Provided by Cookie Jarvis
Categories Short Grain Rice
Time 2h30m
Yield 17 stuffed vegetables, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
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)
Tweaked Dh's families delicious recipe for our favorite stuffed vegetables with meat tomato sauce. Amounts are guesstimates since we only do to taste. This is not a gorgeous looking dish, but great comfort food. P.S. So far the picture posted is beautiful but much dryer than the way we like it.
Provided by UmmBinat
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 , 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
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!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 343.9, Fat 18.3, SaturatedFat 7, Cholesterol 77.1, Sodium 422.9, Carbohydrate 20.6, Fiber 5.9, Sugar 12.8, Protein 27.1
Tips:
- Choose small to medium-sized zucchini: They are more tender and flavorful for stuffing.
- Use fresh herbs: Fresh herbs like parsley, mint, and cilantro add a vibrant flavor to the stuffing.
- Don't overcook the zucchini: Zucchini can become mushy if overcooked. Cook them until they are tender-crisp.
- Make sure the stuffing is cooked through: The stuffing should be cooked through before serving. You can check this by inserting a toothpick into the center of the zucchini. If it comes out clean, the stuffing is cooked.
- Serve warm or at room temperature: Cousa Mashi can be served warm or at room temperature. It is a great dish to serve as an appetizer or main course.
Conclusion:
Cousa Mashi is a delicious and flavorful dish that is perfect for a summer meal. It combines the flavors of zucchini, rice, meat, and herbs in a perfect balance. It can be served as an appetizer or main course and can easily be customized to your own preferences. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give Cousa Mashi a try!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
