Authentic Lebanese Kousa Ablama (Meat Stuffed Zucchini)

A few days ago, my son Ali called me and said he was craving kousa ablama. He asked me to write a detailed post so he could make it himself—a beloved dish that has been passed down from one generation to the next.

While kousa mahshi may be the centerpiece of the holiday table for many, others may prefer kousa ablama. Yes, in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, when it comes to the world of stuffed foods, the possibilities are endless!

Kousa ablama is a simple Lebanese way of preparing zucchini and turning it into a delicious main course. Serve it with rice and vermicelli, or simply with plain rice.

Keep this recipe on hand so you can make this comforting, meat-stuffed zucchini anytime. I think it’s one of those dishes that everyone loves!

Simmering minced-meat-stuffed zucchini in a tomato sauce and serving it with rice on the side is a guaranteed way to create a soul-warming comfort dish.

What is Kousa Ablama? (Kousa Ablama vs. Kousa Mahshi)

1. The filling contains no rice; it consists only of cooked minced meat.

2. Kousa ablama is baked in the oven, whereas kousa mahshi is simmered on the stovetop.

3. The stuffed zucchini is fried or broiled before being cooked in tomato sauce.

4. Traditionally, kousa ablama is served with rice as a side dish.

Ingredients Needed for Lebanese Kousa Ablama

• Baby zucchini

• Tomato paste

• Garlic

• Dried mint

• Minced meat (lamb or beef)

• Butter

• Black and white pepper

• Salt, to taste

• Pine nuts

• Neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola oil), for cooking the minced meat and frying the zucchini

Begin by selecting the right type of zucchini. Look for small-to-medium Lebanese zucchini, no longer than 7 inches (17 cm), which are sometimes called Mexican grey squash. Their pale green skin is smooth and shiny, making them ideal for stuffed zucchini, also known as kousa. They taste great and hold their shape well without becoming soggy during cooking.

Hollowing Out the Zucchini (The Mankara Technique)

You need to hollow out the zucchini with a vegetable corer (mankara), a utensil commonly used in the Middle East to remove the pulp from vegetables such as zucchini and eggplants. Wash, scrub, and dry the zucchini, then cut off the stem ends. Gently hollow out the center using the vegetable corer, being careful not to pierce the outer walls.

Try to hollow it out just as you would when carving a pumpkin. Hollow out the center, leaving about 1/3 inch (¾ cm) around the interior wall—or a little more if you can manage it without poking through the zucchini. It’s simple, but it’s still a skill that takes a bit of practice to master.

Preparing the Minced Meat and Pine Nut Filling

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring occasionally or tossing the skillet, until they are golden brown and smell nutty. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the minced meat to the same skillet, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Break it up as much as possible to prevent large lumps of meat from sticking together as they cook.

Season with salt and the spices mentioned. Cook the mince, stirring frequently and breaking up any large chunks, for about 6–8 minutes, or until it is fully browned and cooked through.

Remove from the heat and taste to check the seasoning, adjusting it to your preference if needed. Add the toasted pine nuts and stir to combine.

Leave the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled, the stuffing is ready to use.

Stuffing and Frying the Zucchini

Fill each zucchini with the minced meat, packing it firmly all the way to the top. Press the meat down as you fill to ensure there are no air pockets.

Heat the sunflower oil or melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange the stuffed zucchini in a single layer and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip them 2–3 times, cooking until lightly browned on all sides.

To remove excess oil and keep the zucchini nice and crisp, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain after frying.

Baking the Zucchini in Garlicky Tomato Sauce

Arrange the stuffed zucchini in a single layer in a baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the water, tomato paste, crushed garlic, and salt until well combined. Gently pour the mixture over the stuffed zucchini, sprinkle with dried mint, and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for about 45 minutes.

Side Dish Ideas: What to Serve with Lebanese Kousa

Like most Lebanese stews, kousa ablama is delicious served with rice and vermicelli. You can also simply serve it with plain rice. If you’re following a low-carb diet, skip the rice and enjoy kousa ablama on its own—believe me, it’s still so satisfying!

Recipe Variations, Expert Tips, and Storage

Healthy Low-Oil Alternative & Prep Tips

Instead of frying, use a generously oiled baking sheet and oven-fry the meat-stuffed zucchini under the broiler until browned on both sides. This method saves time and effort while requiring less oil than traditional frying.

Time-Saving Tip

The meat filling can be prepared, and the zucchini stuffed and refrigerated, up to 3 days before roasting. Remove the stuffed zucchini from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm them in a skillet over medium heat until heated through.

Looking for more mahshi (stuffed food) recipes? We’ve got you covered!

• Mahshi/ Koussa wa Batenjan Mahshi/ Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplants
• Kousa Bil Laban/ Zucchini in Yogurt
• Authentic Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves

If you make our Kousa Ablama, kindly rate the recipe and leave a comment below. This will be helpful to future readers. And if you snap some photos, share them on Facebook—I’d love to see your creations!

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Koussa Ablama

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Prep: 1 hour hour

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Course

Main Course

Cuisine

Lebanese

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Description

Simmering minced-meat-stuffed zucchini in tomatoes and serving it with rice on the side is a guaranteed way to make a soul-warming comfort dish.

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For the Zucchini

• ▢ 1.5 kg / 3 lb 4 oz baby zucchini
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 3½ cups water
• ▢ 8 garlic cloves crushed
• ▢ A pinch of salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried mint
• ▢ 1 cup canola or vegetable oil or ghee, for frying the zucchini

For the Filling

• ▢ 1 kg / 2 lb 4 oz minced beef or lamb
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ ⅓ cup pine nuts
• ▢ 3 tablespoons canola oil or any neutral oil

Instructions

 

• Begin by selecting the right type of zucchini. Try to get small-to-medium Lebanese zucchini, no longer than 7 inches (17 cm). Sometimes called Mexican grey squash, these zucchini have smooth, shiny, pale green skin and are ideal for making stuffed zucchini, aka kousa. They taste great and hold their shape well without becoming soggy during cooking.
• You’ll need to hollow out the zucchini using a vegetable corer (mankara), a utensil commonly used in the Middle East to remove the pulp from vegetables such as zucchini and eggplants. Wash, scrub, and dry the zucchini, then cut off the stem ends. Gently hollow out the center using the vegetable corer, taking care not to pierce through the sides or bottom.
  
• Try to hollow it out just like you would when carving a pumpkin. Hollow out the center, leaving about 1/3 inch (¾ cm) around the interior wall—or even a little more if you can manage it without poking through the zucchini. It’s simple, but it’s still a skill that takes a bit of practice to master.
  

• To cook the minced meat

  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring occasionally or tossing the skillet, until they’re golden brown and smell wonderfully nutty. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  Add the minced meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Break it up as much as possible to prevent large lumps of meat from fusing together as they cook.

  Season with salt and the specified spices. Cook the mince, stirring and breaking up any large chunks, for about 6–8 minutes, or until fully browned.

  Remove from the heat and taste to check the seasoning, adjusting it to your preference if needed. Add the toasted pine nuts and leave the mixture to cool completely.

  Your stuffing is now ready.
  
• Stuff the zucchini: Fill each zucchini by hand with the minced meat stuffing, packing it firmly all the way to the top. Press the stuffing down as you go to ensure there are no air pockets.
  
• Fry the zucchini: Heat the sunflower oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the stuffed zucchini in a single layer and cook until golden brown on the bottom, flipping 2–3 times, until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer the fried zucchini to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil and help keep them nice and crisp.
  
• Bake the zucchini in a garlicky tomato sauce: Arrange the stuffed zucchini in a single layer in a baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the water, tomato paste, crushed garlic, and salt until well combined. Gently pour the sauce over the stuffed zucchini, then sprinkle with the dried mint. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for about 45 minutes, or until the zucchini are thoroughly cooked.
  
• Serve kousa ablama with rice and vermicelli. Check the link above.
  

Keyword minced meat, tomato sauce, zucchini

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