Mains
ChefLoubna Fawaz
Kousa Ablama (Stuffed Zucchini)
Kousa Ablama is a practical, delicious stuffed zucchini dish—great for working cooks. Make it a day ahead and reheat; serve with rice and yogurt.
An easy, practical method for making Kousa Ablama (stuffed zucchini)!
Ingredients
Start here, then move straight into the method.
- 1 kg zucchini suitable for stuffing
- 500 g coarsely ground beef
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 4 carrots
- 1 large dry onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pepper paste (dibs al-filfil)
- 2 tomatoes
- Salt
- A pinch of paprika
- Black pepper or seven-spice mix to taste
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- Thistle with Meat and White Sauce
Method
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- Remove the zucchini cores, wash the zucchini, and place them horizontally with the openings facing down to drain their water.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
- Fry the pine nuts and set them aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the finely chopped onion. When the onion softens, add the coarsely ground meat.
- When the meat is browned, add salt, allspice, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of paprika or ground red pepper.
- Stir the meat well until cooked, then add the fried pine nuts and a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and turn off the heat.
- Stuff the zucchini with the ground meat mixture and close each one with a small piece of tomato so the filling doesn't come out during cooking.
- Fry the zucchini in vegetable oil until golden on all sides. Be careful not to break the zucchini at this stage, as they become very soft after frying.
- Add tomato paste and pepper molasses dissolved in water.
- Add water as needed and to taste.
- Optionally, add large-cut carrot pieces with the zucchini so they can boil and cook through.
- Serve Kousa Ablama alongside cooked white rice and yogurt.
- How to make thistle with meat and white sauce
Recipe tags
MainsInternationalDairy freeGluten freeEgg free
Notes and serving ideas
- Thistle with Meat and White Sauce
- How to make red pepper paste
