Stuffed Zucchini (Kousa Ablama) in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 kg zucchini
• 500 g ground meat
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 large onions
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baharat (seven-spice mix)
• Salt to taste
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• For Muna's yogurt zucchini recipe, see this link كوسى باللبن
• For perfect basmati rice to accompany this dish click on الرز البسمتي على الاصول

Method

1. Wash the zucchinis well, then set them aside to drain thoroughly.
2. Fry the zucchinis in oil until half-cooked.
3. Remove the zucchinis from the oil, and in the same pan and oil fry the pine nuts until lightly browned, then add the finely chopped onion and sauté until softened.
4. Add the meat, spices, and salt and cook, stirring, until the filling is done.
5. Cut the zucchinis lengthwise down the middle, taking care not to cut through to the bottom of the zucchini.
6. Stuff the zucchinis with the meat filling, then arrange them in a baking dish. You can also hollow out some tomatoes and fill them with the meat filling as well.
7. Dissolve the tomato paste in water and gently pour it over the zucchinis.
8. Place the dish in a hot oven until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes and zucchinis are cooked.
9. Serve Kousa Ablama in tomato sauce with white rice or rice cooked with vermicelli.
10. Mona Qassem
11. For Mona's Kousa with yogurt, see this link: Kousa with Yogurt
12. For how to make delicious white basmati rice to go with this dish, see Basmati Rice the Right Way