Stuffed Lebanese Zucchini
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 2 (makes 8 squash)
- 1/8 cup/30g/1ozs. raw short grain rice, soaked for 30-45 minutes (or overnight)
- 125g/4ozs. beef mince
- 1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 1/4 cup parsley, dill and coriander, finely chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons baharat*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 450g/1lb Lebanese zucchini (around 8 or so)
- 2 cherry tomatoes, quartered
For Sauce
- 1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 400g/14ozs. tin diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups/375mls/12.7flozs. beef stock
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4-1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepepr
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
If you don't have baharat please use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Step 1 - Mix the soaked and drained rice, beef mince, onion, garlic, herbs, baharat and salt together in a bowl. Use a manakra to hollow out the zucchini (see instructions above). Try to hollow them out as much as possible without breaking the sides as they'll be tastier with more filling. Fill the zucchini with the rice and meat filling making sure to push down on it so that it's compact. Fill the zucchini 3/4 of the way and then stuff a quarter cherry tomato in the end to stop the filling from spilling out. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.
Step 2 - Then make the sauce. Fry the onion in the oil until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Then add the tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste and sugar, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning adding more if needed. Place the zucchini in the pan and cover with a plate (to weigh them down, we want them cooking in the sauce). Place the lid on and cook on medium heat (4 out of 10) for 1 hour. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.