Small zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with rice and spiced lamb, gently simmered in a tangy tomato sauce with garlic and mint. A generous, fragrant, and tender Lebanese family classic.
Ingredients
- 12 pieces small pale zucchini
- 180 g short-grain rice
- 250 g ground lamb
- 500 ml tomato puree
- 30 g tomato paste
- 2 pieces ripe tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice blend
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 600 ml water
- 0.25 bunches flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clearer, then let it drain while you prepare the zucchini; it should remain moist but not soaked.
- Cut the tops off the zucchini and hollow them out gently with a zucchini corer or a small spoon, without piercing the skin; the walls should remain supple and even to the touch.
- Mix the drained rice with the ground lamb, olive oil, seven-spice blend, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; the filling should be uniform, pliable, and slightly glossy.
- Stuff the zucchini without packing them and leave a little space at the opening so the rice can swell; tap each zucchini in your hand to distribute the filling.
- Place the chopped tomatoes in the bottom of a Dutch oven, add the tightly packed zucchini, then pour in the tomato puree mixed with the tomato paste, water, some of the crushed garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently over low heat until the zucchini are tender under the tip of a knife and the filling is cooked.
- Crush the remaining garlic with the dried mint and lemon juice, add this mixture to the Dutch oven, then continue cooking uncovered until the sauce smells of confit garlic and concentrated tomato.
- Let rest off the heat before serving, so the rice finishes absorbing the broth and the zucchini hold their shape better on the plate.
- Serve the zucchini napped with tomato sauce, with a little chopped flat-leaf parsley and the hot cooking juices.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 467.6 kcal
- Protein
- 16.44 g
- Carbohydrate
- 46.28 g
- Fat
- 23.05 g
- Fibre
- 4.58 g
- Calcium
- 26.34 mg
- Iron
- 0.63 mg
- Magnesium
- 7.71 mg
