Wasfetna

Mahshi

Small zucchini and eggplant stuffed with rice and meat, cooked slowly in tomato sauce.

Stuffed zucchini and eggplant
Cooking time
1 hr 45 min
Hands-on time
1 hr
Free time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cuisine
Levantine
Calories
600
Contains
Dairy

Stuffed zucchini is a dish of patience and a family gathering: hands hollowing out the zucchini while others stuff it, chatting until the tray is full. All the effort is forgotten with the first bite—seasoned rice soaking up the tomato sauce inside tender zucchini.

Before you start

  • Save timeThe vegetables can be hollowed out and the stuffing prepared the night before, and stuffed and cooked the next day.
  • Don't throw away the pulpThe zucchini pulp makes a wonderful gratin or omelet for another day.

Ingredients

6people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the vegetables

For the filling

For the sauce

When increasing the portions, use a wider pot, and gradually add the liquid and spices according to taste.

Shopping list

Equipment

  • Corer — Without one it is very hard to hollow the courgettes without piercing them.
  • Wide pot — The stuffed vegetables are packed into it in tight circles.
  • Plate that fits inside the pot — Inverted over them to hold everything down while it cooks.

Method

  1. Cut off the heads of the zucchini and eggplant and hollow them out using a corer with a thin, even wall.

    8 min
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    Each vegetable is hollowed out with no holes in the wall.

    Tip: Hold the vegetable in your palm and twist the corer in short circular turns — don't force it.

  2. Mix the rice, meat, ghee, spices, salt and pepper for the filling.

    10 min
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    The filling is homogeneous and the spices are distributed throughout the mixture.

    Tip: Mix with your hand, not a spoon — thorough mixing distributes the fat and the spices.

  3. Stuff the vegetables only two-thirds full and don't pack the filling.

    10 min
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    Even, well-sealed pieces with no filling leaking out.

    Tip: The rice swells — stuffing it full bursts the vegetable or leaves the rice raw.

  4. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the pot in tightly packed circles, and add the sauce (tomatoes, paste, water, garlic and salt) until it is almost completely covered.

    8 min
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    The sauce almost covers the stuffed vegetables and the rings sit tight together.

    Tip: Check the doneness cue before moving on to the next step, rather than relying on the time alone.

  5. Place an upside-down plate on top of the stuffed vegetables to stabilize them, and cook over low heat.

    50 minYou can walk away
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    The rice in the filling is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened — try one.

    Tip: After boiling, reduce the heat and monitor the liquid level to prevent it from drying out.

  6. Sprinkle with dried mint, and let it rest for ten minutes before serving.

    10 minYou can walk away
    You’ll know it’s ready when

    Ten minutes have passed and the mint is clearly fragrant.

    Tip: Don't cut the resting time short; it is part of getting the final texture right.

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