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Mahshi
5 from 2 votes

Mahshi

Mahshi is a dish of vegetables stuffed with rice and meat, a traditional dish from the ancient Ottoman Empire, popular in the Balkans, the Levant and Egypt.

Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Egyptian

Ingredients

For the meat and rice
  • 1 small onion , diced
  • 6 oz. ground beef lean
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
  • 1 cup short grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt
  • black pepper
For the zucchini
  • 10 summer squash kusa, light green skin), about 6 inches, Lebanese variety
  • 2 large potato peeled, cut into thin slices
  • 2 large firm tomato peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon cumin ground
  • ½ cup tomato coulis
  • 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dill finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable or beef broth)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • black pepper
Equipment
  • Dutch oven

Instructions

Meat and rice
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and brown the onion.
  2. Once the onion is translucent, add the ground beef, ¼ teaspoon salt and the cumin. Mix well.
  3. Brown the meat, then add the tomato purée, parsley and water. Season with black pepper.
  4. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil, then remove from the heat and pour everything into a large bowl.
  5. In the bowl, add the raw rice. Mix with the sauce using a wooden spoon. Set aside until the mixture cools.
Zucchini
  1. Hollow out the zucchini using a vegetable or apple corer. Reserve the inside of the squash.
  2. In the same Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  3. Add the inside of the cored zucchini, cut into small pieces and the cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook for 10 minutes over low to medium heat, then add the tomato coulis, parsley, cilantro, and dill. Set aside.
  5. Once the reserved rice mixture has cooled, stuff the hollowed zucchini with this mixture and reserve the rest.
  6. Line a very large Dutch oven with tomato and potato slices to cover the bottom.
  7. Place the zucchini in a single layer.
  8. Add the rest of the rice mixture to the zucchini.
  9. Pour the sauce over with the reserved zucchini pieces.
  10. Add the chicken (vegetable or beef) broth, lemon juice and 5 tablespoons of olive oil.
  11. Season with salt and pepper again.
  12. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and cook covered over medium heat for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the liquid is absorbed and the sauce has a smooth consistency.