Shared by Nina Dahan
Shared by Nina Dahan
Zucchini Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini with Beef and Rice)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Zucchini Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini with Beef and Rice)
Yield: 4 to 6 servingsFamily Journey
BeirutLondon
New York City
Nina Dahan's Lebanese Jewish family makes stuffed vegetables like these zucchini in a lemon-pomegranate sauce for every holiday meal.
Read more about Nina's family in "In This Lebanese Family, It’s Not Shabbat Without Hamod" and try her recipes for hamod (Lebanese lemon and potato soup), onion mahshi (stuffed onions with beef and rice), and bazela (peas with allspice).
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 zucchini
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
For the stuffing
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¾ cup arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon salt
- water
Preparation
Step 1
Shape the zucchini: Remove the stems, and peel the zucchini in a striped pattern. Using an apple corer, core out the center cavity of each zucchini, leaving about ½ an inch of zucchini meat on the edges.
Step 2
Make the filling: Place the beef, rice, allspice and salt into a bowl. Mix well until combined.
Step 3
Stuff the cavity of each zucchini with enough meat to fill it up with ¼ of an inch space on each side (the filling will expand as it cooks).
Step 4
Make the sauce: Combine the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, sugar and salt into a bowl, mix well.
Step 5
Place 1 tablespoon of oil into a wide pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the stuffed zucchini into the oil and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Step 6
Pour the sauce over the zucchini. Add enough water to cover the zucchini about ¾ up the way. Place a lid on the pot and cook over medium to medium low heat or on a simmer for about 40 minutes or until the meat and rice is cooked through and the sauce reduces and thickens.
Step 7
Serve hot.
