Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 kg medium-sized zucchini (tipped, peeled, cored)
2 cups cooked minced beef
1/2 cup rice (washed well, strained)
1/2 cup pine nuts (fried in a smear of oil)
1 cup fresh parsley leaves (finely chopped)
1 1/2-2 kgs ,plain yoghurt
100 mls buttermilk (rayeb)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch flour
1 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp dried mint leaves (crushed)
2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp butter
Salt + pepper + grated nutmeg + 2-3 bay leaves
In a medium bowl, combine minced beef, rice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, pine nuts; (half quantity) and parsley. Mix well and stuff zucchini with mixture; fully filling each up to the rim; leaving approximately 1 cm empty from the top. In a large cooking pan; combine yoghurt, rayeb, cornstarch; mixed well, in a small glass, with a small amount of tap water. Add bouillon cubes and bay leaves. Place pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with whisk, until cornstarch thickens. Keep stirring, gently, over medium-low heat, until brought to a boil. Taste for salt, then add zucchini to mixture and cover pan. Bring back to the boil then lower heat to medium-low; covered still. Remove from heat when zucchini is done; approximately 10 to 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, combine olive oil, butter and garlic. Stir to fry, over medium heat, only until garlic changes colour, then stir in mint and; only to combine. Remove from heat and add to zucchini mixture; stirring it in. Leave covered for a few minutes to integrate within heat of contents. Prior to serving; remove bay leaves and stir in remaining quantity of pine nuts. Serve with fluffed white rice and vermicelli, aside.
N.B.: Do not discard core inside of zucchini. You can make a delicious salad with it. Just add a very small amount of water to it and boil for a few minutes. Pour into a small colander to drain waters and allow to cool off completely. Add some salt, a teaspoonful of crushed garlic, juice of two lemons and a bunch of finely chopped parsley leaves. Mix together. Drizzle an amount of extra virgin olive oil and serve with either this dish or with any other.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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