Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Kousa Mahshi — Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Broth

Kousa Mahshi

Kousa mahshi is a foundational Lebanese stuffed-vegetable dish: small, pale zucchini are carefully hollowed, loosely filled with raw rice and seasoned minced meat, then gently simmered in tomato broth. Success depends on even coring, leaving room for the rice to expand, and maintaining a quiet simmer so the zucchini become tender without splitting.

Prep55 min

Cook1h 15m

DifficultyAdvanced

YieldApproximately 18 stuffed zucchini with tomato broth

Know what you are cooking

This tomato-broth preparation is Pan-Lebanese home cooking. Households vary the balance of lamb and beef, tomato acidity, garlic, and dried mint. Some Lebanese cooks add meaty bones beneath the zucchini for a richer broth. Stuffed zucchini cooked in a yogurt sauce is another established Lebanese preparation, but it requires a separate sauce technique and should not be treated as interchangeable with this tomato version.

Served hot as a substantial family lunch or dinner, usually with some of its tomato broth spooned around it. Plain yogurt, radishes, scallions, and a simple salad are customary optional accompaniments.

By the end, you can:

Core small zucchini to an even 7–10 mm wall without puncturing the base or sides.
Prepare a traditional raw rice-and-meat stuffing with the correct loose consistency.
Fill zucchini with sufficient headspace for rice expansion.
Control simmering and submersion so the vegetables cook evenly without breaking.
Verify that the rice, meat, and zucchini are fully cooked using sensory cues and a food thermometer.

Method

Soak and drain the rice

Rinse the rice, cover it with cool water, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain it very thoroughly; excess water makes the stuffing difficult to control. Core the zucchini while the rice soaks.

Look, smell, feelThe drained grains remain firm and separate, with no pool of water beneath them.SafetyUse clean equipment and keep the minced meat refrigerated while preparing the vegetables.

Prepare and core the zucchini

Trim only the stem end of each zucchini, creating an opening about 15–20 mm wide. Insert the corer through this opening, rotate gently, and remove the flesh in small portions. Leave the blossom end closed and maintain an even shell 7–10 mm thick. Reserve the cores for soup, fritters, or omelettes rather than discarding them.

Look, smell, feelA finished shell feels light and evenly hollow, with no soft punctures; a light held behind it should not reveal dangerously thin spots.SafetyBrace each zucchini on the work surface rather than in your palm. Direct the corer away from your hand and never force it through resistance.

Mix the stuffing

Combine the drained rice, chilled minced meat, olive oil, 8 g of the salt, seven spice, cinnamon, black pepper, and 60 ml cold water. Fold with the fingertips just until evenly distributed; do not knead or compact the mixture.

Look, smell, feelThe mixture is moist and loose, and the rice grains remain visibly distinct rather than embedded in a dense meat paste.SafetyDo not taste the raw stuffing. Wash hands, utensils, and contacted surfaces immediately after handling raw meat.

Fill the zucchini

Add stuffing in small pinches, tapping the zucchini lightly against the work surface to settle it without packing. Fill each zucchini only about three-quarters full and leave approximately 20 mm of empty space at the opening. If filling remains, form it into small meatballs and cook them in the broth.

Look, smell, feelThe filling shifts slightly when the zucchini is shaken; it is not compressed and the opening remains visibly empty.SafetyKeep the stuffing chilled whenever work pauses. Complete raw-meat preparation within 2 hours, or within 1 hour in very warm conditions.

Arrange and add the tomato broth

Lay the stuffed zucchini snugly in the pot, alternating their direction between layers. Mix the strained tomatoes, tomato paste, 900 ml water, garlic, remaining 4 g salt, dried mint, and lemon juice. Pour over the zucchini; the liquid should nearly cover them. Place the heatproof plate directly over the zucchini to limit movement.

Look, smell, feelThe zucchini are secure beneath the plate and surrounded by a smooth, brick-red broth without dry tomato-paste lumps.SafetyConfirm that the plate is genuinely heatproof and fits without sealing tightly against the sides of the pot.

Bring to a controlled simmer

Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil over medium heat, approximately 15 minutes. As soon as steady bubbling begins, reduce the heat to low. Avoid a vigorous rolling boil, which can split the shells and force out the filling.

Look, smell, feelSmall, regular bubbles rise around the edge of the plate; the pot is not shaking or splashing.SafetyLift the lid away from your face and use dry oven gloves when handling the hot plate or pot.

Cook until tender

Maintain a gentle covered simmer for about 60 minutes. Check after 40 minutes and add only boiling water if the liquid falls below two-thirds of the zucchini. Near the end, test one zucchini: the rice must be fully tender, the meat must show no raw centre, and the centre of the stuffing must reach at least 74°C. Continue cooking if any criterion is not met.

Look, smell, feelA skewer enters the zucchini with little resistance, the rice is plump with no chalky centre, and the broth has lightly thickened while the shells remain intact.SafetyBecause the stuffing contains ground meat, verify at least 74°C in the centre of more than one zucchini, especially those from the middle of the pot.

Rest and serve

Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the plate, then rest uncovered for another 5 minutes. Transfer the zucchini with a slotted spoon and ladle tomato broth around them.

Look, smell, feelThe stuffing has settled, the zucchini hold their shape when lifted, and the broth coats the spoon lightly.SafetyThe retained broth and plate will be extremely hot; remove the plate with tongs or protected hands and avoid steam.

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Chef notes

Choose straight, firm zucchini approximately 10–15 cm long and of similar diameter so they cook at the same rate.
The 7–10 mm shell is deliberate: thinner walls tear, while thicker walls remain firm after the rice is cooked.
Use the full 20 mm headspace. Rice expansion, not pressure, should fill the cavity during cooking.
Lamb gives a fuller traditional flavour; beef is also widely used in Lebanese homes. A half-lamb, half-beef mixture balances richness and structure.
Taste the cooked broth—not the raw filling—before final service. Tomato acidity varies, so add optional lemon cautiously.
For a richer household variation, cleaned lamb neck bones may be browned and placed beneath the zucchini; their cooking and sourcing require the same local food-safety standards as other raw meat.

Common mistakes

Piercing the blossom end or leaving translucent walls, causing broth to enter and the shell to collapse.
Packing the stuffing tightly or filling to the rim, which makes the rice hard or splits the zucchini.
Using wet, insufficiently drained rice, producing a loose filling and diluted seasoning.
Boiling vigorously instead of simmering gently, which breaks the zucchini and clouds the broth.
Judging doneness from the zucchini alone; the central rice and ground meat must also be fully cooked.
Adding cold water during simmering, which interrupts cooking and can toughen or unevenly cook the rice.

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Practical substitutions

If Lebanese zucchini are unavailable, use the smallest firm, straight pale-green zucchini available; dark-green courgettes have a different skin and flavour but can be used without changing the method.
Calrose or another medium-grain white rice may replace Egyptian-style medium-grain rice. Avoid parboiled, instant, or aromatic long-grain rice because expansion and texture differ.
Use all lamb, all beef, or a 1:1 mixture. Very lean meat benefits from the measured olive oil and should not be overmixed.
Ground allspice may replace Lebanese seven spice in the same measured amount.
For a dairy-free preparation, serve without yogurt. The recipe itself contains no dairy.
Use packaged tomato products and spices labelled gluten-free when cooking for someone who must avoid gluten, because cross-contact practices vary by manufacturer.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: The zucchini may be washed, cored, dried, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. For best rice texture and safest handling, mix, stuff, and cook on the same day. If raw stuffed zucchini must be held, refrigerate immediately at 4°C or colder, cook within 24 hours, and follow stricter local health guidance where applicable.

Storage: Refrigerate cooked kousa and broth within 2 hours. Divide large quantities into shallow covered containers rather than cooling the whole deep pot. Store at 4°C or colder and use within 3 days. Freeze in broth for up to 2 months for quality; thaw in the refrigerator.

Reheating: Place the zucchini and broth in a covered saucepan, add a small splash of water if necessary, and heat gently until simmering. Verify at least 74°C at the centre of the stuffed zucchini. Reheat only the portion needed and avoid repeated cooling and reheating.

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Plate and serve

Arrange three zucchini per warmed shallow bowl or plate. Spoon tomato broth around—not excessively over—the zucchini so their intact shape remains visible. Optional accompaniments include plain yogurt, radishes, scallions, or a crisp Lebanese salad.