Cousa Mashi - Arabic Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

• 2 cups short-grain rice
• 1/2 lb ground beef (or ground lamb)
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pinch saffron, if desired
• 15 zucchini
• 5 eggplants, small
• 2 green peppers, small
• 6 large tomatoes
• water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried mint, crushed

Directions

1. 1

   Soak the rice in warm water for at least 1/2 an hour.

2. 2

   Drain rice and mix together with ground meat, spices and olive oil.

3. 3

   Cut the tops off of the cousa and eggplant. Discard.

4. 4

   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).

5. 5

   Carefully cut tops of off green peppers so they can be replaced after stuffing.

6. 6

   Clean insides of green peppers.

7. 7

   Stuff vegetables with rice mixture leaving some room for the rice to expand when cooked.

8. 8

   Fill large pot with vegetables.

9. 9

   Cut tomatoes to fill blender.

10. 10

    Add 2/3 blender with water.

11. 11

    Add tomato paste and salt.

12. 12

    Mix in blender until smooth.

13. 13

    Pour tomato sauce over vegetables.

14. 14

    Add more water if necessary to cover vegatables.

15. 15

    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.

16. 16

    Occasionally cover with additional water to keep sauce from drying out.

17. 17

    Add crushed garlic and mint to pot for a few minutes.

18. 18

    Serve stuffed vegetables on a tray.

19. 19

    Put sauce in a serving bowl to be added if desired.

20. 20

    Note: Do not put a lid on the vegetables until they are completely cool or they may burst open.

21. 21

    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.

22. 22

    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).