Lebanese Kousa Mahshi or stuffed courgettes in yoghurt
A kind of dolma (stuffed dish), stuffed with lamb mince, rice and drenched in lemony sauce
| PREP TIME | 1 h : 10 m |
|---|---|
| COOK TIME | 35m |
| SERVES | 4 |
For the yoghurt sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
240gm plain yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
For the courgettes
4 large courgettes
450gm lamb mince
200gm cooked white rice
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 pinch paprika
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
4 tbsp olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. To make the yoghurt sauce, soak the chopped garlic in a small bowl of hot water for 5 minutes. Drain well, then stir with the yoghurt, lemon juice and seasoning to taste in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. To prepare the courgettes, top and tail them, taking off about 2cm from both ends. Using a flexible knife or a teaspoon, cut or bore out the flesh from the courgettes, leaving the skin and shell intact in one piece.
4. Scrunch together the lamb mince, cooked rice, shallot, cumin, coriander, paprika, lemon zest and seasoning in a mixing bowl. Pack the mixture into the hollowed out courgettes and arrange them on a roasting tray.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and season the outsides. Roast for 25-35 minutes until tender to the point of a knife, spooning over some of the yoghurt sauce after 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
7. Arrange the courgettes on plates and spoon over any remaining yoghurt sauce before serving.
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