Ramadan recipe: kousa mahshi – stuffed courgettes in tomato sauce

Join The National and Table Tales on a culinary journey around the Middle East to savour the quintessential dishes that embody the spirit of Ramadan. From table staples to family favourites, this series of recipes – one for each day of Ramadan – pays homage to the holy month and the home cook alike.

Stuffing is a big part of Middle Eastern cuisine, and many dishes – both sweet and savoury – are filled with time-tested and innovative fillings. As Hanan Sayed Worrell, of Table Tales, explains: "Stuffing is an activity of old times, when women had more time at home and maybe less money. It allows for stretching the meat by combining it with rice and vegetables, and cooking in one pot, but the result is impressive and tasty."

Recipe contributor Maie Jeneidi says: "I was raised on a farm in Al Ain where baba, who came to the UAE back in 1968 as a young agricultural engineer, taught me how to grow, appreciate and love vegetables. His love for farming eventually made me more mindful about what I eat and feed my family, and pushes me to grow my own vegetables in my small garden every year. This recipe is a classic, and we love it in Ramadan because it is warm, soft and nourishing."

Maie Jeneidi's kousa mahshi – stuffed courgettes in tomato sauce

Serves 8 to 10

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients for the courgettes:

• 22 courgettes, small
• 60ml olive oil
• 285g onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 150g squash pulp, mashed
• 1 tbsp dried mint

Ingredients for the stuffing:

• 400g short-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes then drained
• 250g minced beef
• 200g tomato, finely chopped
• 15g parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp seven spice
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cinnamon, ground
• ¼ tsp cardamom, ground
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp dried mint

Ingredients for the tomato sauce:

• 700g tomatoes
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Trim all the courgettes from the top. Using a corer, remove the insides of each one, being careful not to poke through the bottom or sides. Set the pulp aside for later use. Rinse with salted water and set aside to drain.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the stuffing and mix well. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. One by one fill the hollowed courgettes with the stuffing mix, gently pushing down with your finger and leaving about 1.5cm from the rim, to allow for the rice to expand when cooked.
3. Use a toothpick to poke holes randomly in the stuffed courgettes, to ensure they cook through to the filling.
4. In a casserole, add the oil and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and the reserved pulp, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle with half the dried mint and half a cup of boiling water. Cover and let it simmer on low heat, until cooked.
5. Line the stuffed courgettes upright over the onion mixture. Dissolve the salt in boiling water and gradually pour in between the squash, until the contents are two-thirds covered. Cover and cook on medium for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a blender to achieve a thick consistency. Pour into a pan on medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the tomato sauce to the courgettes and continue to cook for 30 minutes. Test the courgettes to see if they are done, adjust the salt, pepper and lemon to taste. Add the dried mint and cool uncovered for 10 minutes.
8. Serve the stuffed courgettes in a platter and ladle some sauce over them.
9. Pour the remaining tomato sauce in a bowl, and serve on the side with yoghurt and pickles.

This dish has been brought to you by Maie Jeneidi (@wizardofyum) and curated by international recipe hunter Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi. The Table Tales concept celebrates the people and stories that give flavour to recipes of the Middle East.

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Read more:

Ramadan recipes: daily dishes to try from the 'Table Tales' series

Ramadan recipe: molokhia, a medieval Arabic dish

Ramadan recipe: Sambousa puff – pastry with meat, cheese and herbs

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