Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Kousa bi Laban

A defining Lebanese mahshi lesson: tender hollowed zucchini filled with rice and lamb, then finished in a smooth garlic-mint yogurt sauce. Success depends on leaving room for the rice to expand, cooking the stuffed zucchini gently, and bringing the stabilized yogurt to a controlled simmer without curdling.

Prep55 min

Cook1h 25m

DifficultyAdvanced

Yield12–14 stuffed zucchini with approximately 1.6 litres yogurt sauce

Know what you are cooking

Kousa bi laban is prepared across Lebanon in home and professional kitchens. Families vary the meat between lamb and beef, use dried or fresh mint, and may stabilize the yogurt with egg, starch, or careful stirring alone. This academy version uses egg and cornstarch for dependable service while preserving the characteristic tart yogurt, garlic, and mint profile.

Serve hot as a substantial family lunch or dinner, especially as part of a mahshi table. It is traditionally presented with plenty of yogurt sauce and may be accompanied by radishes, olives, or a simple seasonal salad.

By the end, you can:

Hollow small zucchini evenly without piercing their walls.
Balance rice and ground meat while leaving sufficient expansion space inside each zucchini.
Par-cook stuffed zucchini gently so the shells remain intact.
Stabilize yogurt with egg and cornstarch and heat it without curdling.
Verify the safe doneness of a ground-meat filling without overcooking the zucchini.

Method

Temper the yogurt and soak the rice

Set the yogurt out while preparing the vegetables, but do not leave it at room temperature for more than 30 minutes. Rinse the rice, soak it in cool water for 15 minutes, then drain it very well.

Look, smell, feelThe drained rice should feel hydrated at the surface but should not be soft or chalky.SafetyKeep the ground lamb refrigerated during this preparation period.

Hollow the zucchini

Trim only the stem ends. Insert the corer gradually, rotating the zucchini rather than forcing the tool. Remove the pale central flesh while leaving a closed base and walls approximately 5–7 mm thick. Reserve the removed flesh for another cooked preparation.

Look, smell, feelHold each shell toward a light: the walls should look even, with no translucent pinholes or cracks.SafetyWork away from the supporting hand and keep fingers out of the corer's path.

Mix the filling

Combine the drained rice, cold ground lamb, 20 g ghee, 6 g salt, seven spice, cinnamon, and black pepper. Mix just until evenly distributed; do not knead into a dense paste.

Look, smell, feelThe grains should remain distinct and evenly coated, with no large clumps of meat.SafetyTreat the bowl, utensils, and work surface as contaminated by raw ground meat; wash them promptly with hot soapy water.

Fill the zucchini

Loosely fill each zucchini to about two-thirds of its internal capacity. Tap it gently against the palm to settle the filling, but do not compress it. Leave at least 2 cm of empty space at the opening for rice expansion.

Look, smell, feelThe filling should shift slightly when the zucchini is tapped; a tightly packed filling will cook unevenly.SafetyReturn filled zucchini to refrigeration if cooking will not begin immediately.

Par-cook the stuffed zucchini

Arrange the zucchini snugly in a wide pot, alternating their direction so they do not roll. Add the water and 3 g salt; the liquid should reach roughly three-quarters of the way up the vegetables. Cover, bring just to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 30–35 minutes. Turn the zucchini once with a slotted spoon. Reserve 350 mL of the fully simmered cooking broth, and allow it to cool until warm rather than steaming.

Look, smell, feelA skewer should enter the zucchini wall with light resistance, while the shells remain intact. A cut test piece should show rice that is mostly expanded but still slightly firm at its center.SafetyThe broth has contacted raw meat; do not taste or reserve it until it has reached a full simmer. Avoid splashing when turning the zucchini.

Build the stabilized yogurt sauce

Off the heat, whisk the yogurt, egg, cornstarch, and remaining 3 g salt in a heavy saucepan until completely smooth. Gradually whisk in 350 mL warm reserved broth. Set over medium heat and stir continuously, scraping the base and corners. When the sauce begins to steam, reduce the heat slightly and continue stirring until the first slow bubbles break the surface.

Look, smell, feelThe sauce should coat the spoon in a smooth, even layer with no grainy curds or watery separation.SafetyDo not use raw or insufficiently heated cooking liquid. Keep the sauce moving to prevent scorching and sudden boiling.

Finish the zucchini in the yogurt

Transfer the par-cooked zucchini carefully into the hot yogurt sauce. Maintain a very gentle simmer, partially covered, for 12–15 minutes. Turn the pieces once without squeezing them. Check the center of the thickest filling with a clean instant-read thermometer; it must reach at least 74°C.

Look, smell, feelThe zucchini should yield to a spoon while holding its shape, the rice should be fully tender, and the sauce should remain creamy.SafetyBecause the filling contains ground meat, do not judge doneness by color alone; verify at least 74°C in the center.

Prepare the garlic-mint finish

Warm the remaining 10 g ghee in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds without browning. Add the dried mint, stir for 10 seconds, then scrape the mixture into the yogurt sauce. Gently move the pot to distribute it without breaking the zucchini.

Look, smell, feelThe garlic should smell sweet and aromatic, not toasted or bitter; the mint should release its fragrance immediately.SafetyGarlic burns quickly in hot fat; remove the pan from the heat if it begins to color.

Rest and serve

Remove the pot from the heat and rest it for 10–15 minutes. Taste only the sauce and adjust salt if needed. Serve two zucchini per person in warm shallow bowls, spooning yogurt sauce generously around them.

Look, smell, feelAfter resting, the sauce should cling lightly to the zucchini while remaining fluid enough to pool in the bowl.SafetyKeep the finished dish above 60°C for hot service, or begin prompt cooling if it will not be served.

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Chef notes

Choose short, firm, pale-green zucchini of similar diameter so they hollow and cook evenly.
Full-fat yogurt is more forgiving than low-fat yogurt. Bringing it slightly toward room temperature reduces thermal shock, but it should not remain unrefrigerated for more than 30 minutes.
Continuous stirring and moderate heat matter more than stirring in a particular direction.
The sauce may appear slightly thin while boiling; it thickens during the resting period.
Use a sacrificed test zucchini if necessary to examine rice expansion and filling doneness without damaging the full batch.
The removed zucchini flesh can be refrigerated promptly and cooked in an omelet, fritter, soup, or vegetable sauté.

Common mistakes

Piercing the base while hollowing, which allows filling to escape.
Packing the filling tightly or filling to the rim, leaving no room for the rice to expand.
Boiling the stuffed zucchini vigorously, which splits the shells and compacts the filling.
Adding very hot broth directly to cold yogurt and egg, which can produce curds.
Stopping the stirring before the yogurt reaches its first controlled boil, allowing starch to settle and scorch.
Browning the garlic, which makes the delicate yogurt sauce bitter.
Testing ground-meat doneness only by color instead of checking for at least 74°C.

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Practical substitutions

Ground beef may replace lamb in equal weight; choose beef with moderate fat so the filling remains succulent.
A 50:50 mixture of ground lamb and beef is a common household variation.
Fresh mint may replace dried mint: use 12 g finely chopped leaves and add them with the garlic only for the final 15 seconds.
For an egg-free version, omit the egg and increase cornstarch to 40 g; the sauce will be slightly less rich.
If using low-fat yogurt, increase cornstarch to 40 g and heat especially gradually; nonfat yogurt is more prone to a chalky or split texture.
Use certified gluten-free cornstarch, spices, and packaged ingredients when preparing the dish for someone who must avoid gluten.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: The zucchini may be hollowed up to 1 day ahead, dried well, covered, and refrigerated at 4°C or below. For best safety and texture, mix the raw meat filling and stuff the zucchini immediately before cooking. The completed dish may be cooked 1 day ahead, cooled promptly, and refrigerated.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature exceeds 32°C. Divide into shallow covered containers and store at 4°C or below for up to 3 days. Do not leave the zucchini cooling in a deep covered pot. Freeze for up to 1 month if necessary, although thawed yogurt sauce may become grainy.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low to medium-low heat, adding a small amount of water if the sauce is too thick. Turn the zucchini carefully and heat the center to at least 74°C. Stir or shake the sauce gently rather than boiling it hard. Reheat only the quantity required.

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Plate and serve

Place two stuffed zucchini in each warm shallow bowl. Spoon the yogurt sauce around and partly over them, leaving the shapes visible. Finish with a small pinch of dried mint if desired; avoid garnishes that overwhelm the garlic-yogurt aroma.