How to Make Kousa bil Laban (Zucchini in Yogurt)

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg small zucchini, hollowed and washed
• 250 g meat pieces for boiling
• Seasonings for boiling (to taste)
• Filling:
• 2/3 cup Egyptian rice, rinsed and drained
• 350 g coarsely ground meat
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp seven-spice mix
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup oil or ghee
• Yogurt mixture:
• 1 kg cow yogurt + 0.5 kg goat yogurt + 0.5 L liquid milk + 6 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in cold water)
• or
• Goat yogurt
• Cow yogurt + cornstarch adjusted to the quantity of yogurt

Method

1. Mix the filling ingredients. Stuff each zucchini only halfway because the rice will expand during cooking and you don’t want the filling to spill out.
2. Whisk all the yogurt-mix ingredients together with an electric blender or a hand whisk, then place over the stove and stir constantly because the yogurt can stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. Earlier, boil the meat pieces with the seasonings until fully cooked.
4. Boil the zucchini in the meat broth for about 15 minutes, then drain them.
   Timers: 15 min
5. Add one cup of the meat broth (from boiling the meat and zucchini) to the yogurt mixture and continue stirring.
6. When the yogurt mixture reaches a boil, add the stuffed, boiled zucchini and the boiled meat pieces, then reduce the heat.
7. Gently shake the pot or stir lightly every now and then to prevent the yogurt from sticking to the bottom.
8. Leave the dish on low heat until the zucchini are completely cooked through.
9. For more delicious kousa recipes see Kousa Ablma in Tomato Sauce
10. For more kousa recipes from Amir see Stuffed Eggplant and Zucchini with Lamb Ribs