Kousa Sheikh (Stuffed Zucchini in Yogurt)

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• Ground meat
• Oil or ghee
• Salt
• Seven-spice blend (baharat)
• Pine nuts - optional
• Yogurt sauce:
• 1 kg plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• For kibbeh in yogurt see: How to make kibbeh in yogurt

Method

1. Hollow the zucchini and leave them slightly thick so you do not remove too much flesh
2. Prepare the filling: in a pan, fry the minced meat with a little oil or ghee until it changes color, then add salt, seven-spice and pine nuts and cook until done
3. Let the filling cool slightly, stuff the zucchini and close the tops with the removed zucchini core if desired
4. Deep-fry the zucchini in hot oil until they just change color slightly
5. Place the fried zucchini in a colander for a while then into boiling water and simmer them for about a quarter of an hour only
6. Drain them to remove all water, reserving only a little of the cooking water aside
7. Prepare the yogurt: put it in a pot with the cornstarch dissolved in water and salt; while cold, mix them well together
8. Ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved before turning on the heat; cook over medium heat with constant stirring until the yogurt boils
9. When it boils, add 1/4 cup of the stock in which the zucchini were cooked and stir
10. Add the zucchini to the yogurt mixture and let them simmer for only 10 minutes
    Timers: 10 min
11. Serve Kousa Sheikh stuffed zucchini in yogurt with rice and vermicelli
12. Rana Jarkas
13. For kibbeh in yogurt recipe, here is the link: How to make kibbeh bil laban