Stuffed Zucchini and Grape Leaves

Ingredients

• 1 kg medium zucchini
• 1/2 kg green grape leaves
• 2 cups Egyptian rice
• 1/2 kg meat cut into medallions or as desired
• 1/2 kg coarsely ground meat
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, dried
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 small head of garlic
• Seven-spice blend
• Cinnamon
• Salt and hot spice to taste
• Tomato paste to taste
• This recipe for preparing stuffed zucchini and grape leaves comes from a friend and a chef on the Shou Tabkhin Today site:
• Naima Ibrahim
• Click Naima's name to visit her profile on our site

Method

1. Scoop the zucchini, wash and drain them, and blanch the grape leaves in boiling water for only ten seconds, then drain them.
2. Prepare the filling made of Egyptian rice, minced meat, spices, salt, and oil.
3. After stuffing the zucchinis and rolling the grape leaves, arrange the pieces of meat beside the onion and the carrot sliced into rounds at the bottom of the pot, then arrange the grape leaves, then the zucchinis.
4. Prepare the broth made of water, a few cloves of crushed garlic, tomato paste, salt and spices, and pour the broth over the stuffed vegetables until it covers them and rises above them by the width of two fingers.
5. Weigh down the stuffed vegetables with a plate or any heavy object, and as soon as the broth boils reduce the heat and leave the stuffed zucchinis and grape leaves to simmer over low heat for two hours until cooked.
6. This recipe for stuffed zucchini and grape leaves is from a friend and chef of the "What's Cooking Today" site:
7. Naima Ibrahim