The Ultimate Mahshi Kousa wa Warak Enab (Stuffed Zucchini & Grape Leaves)

Watch the Step-by-Step Video Tutorial below

 Ingredients for Authentic Mahshi Kousa wa Warak Enab

• • Mexican Grey Squash (Lebanese Zucchini): Look for small-to-medium squash, no longer than 7 inches (17 cm). They hold their shape perfectly without becoming soggy. Yellow squash or regular zucchini can work as substitutes.
  • Fresh or Brined Grape Leaves: Use tender, young fresh leaves or high-quality jarred grape leaves in brine (rinsed and drained).
  • Minced Meat: Ground lamb is traditional and adds the best flavor, but lean ground beef works wonderfully too.
  • Short-Grain Rice: Arborio rice or Egyptian rice is essential here. Short-grain varieties contain the right starch to create a perfectly sticky filling. Jasmine rice can be used in a pinch.
  • Meat on the Bone: Beef oxtail, lamb chops, or lamb neck. Cooking the stuffed vegetables over a bed of bone-in meat creates a deeply flavorful broth.
  • Spices & Seasonings: Seven Spice (or allspice substitute), freshly ground black pepper, salt, and optional sumac for a touch of tang.
  • Ghee or Sunflower Oil & Water

 Step-by-Step Preparation Guide

1. 1. Rinse the rice: Place your short-grain rice in a colander under cold running water. Rub the grains gently with your hands to remove excess starch, then drain well.
   2. Mix the filling: In a large bowl, combine the rinsed rice, minced meat, a splash of oil, salt, white pepper, black pepper, seven-spice, and sumac (if using). Mix thoroughly until combined.

1. 1. Prep the squash: Wash, scrub, and dry the zucchini. Slice off the stem tips.
   2. Hollow them out: Using a traditional vegetable corer (mankara), gently hollow out the center. Carve it like a pumpkin, leaving about 1/3 inch (¾ cm) of flesh around the interior wall. Be careful not to pierce the bottom or sides!
   3. Stuff the zucchini: Using your fingers, gently push the filling into each zucchini. Leave about ¼ inch (½ cm) of space at the top to allow room for the short-grain rice to expand as it cooks. Do not overstuff.

• • If using fresh leaves: Blanch them in boiling water until they wilt and turn a darker olive green. Remove with a slotted spoon and let them cool completely, then snip off the stems.
  • If using jarred leaves: Rinse thoroughly in cold water to remove excess brine and drain well.
  • The Rolling Process: Place a grape leaf flat on a clean surface, veiny side facing up. Trim the stem if attached. Place one teaspoon of filling across the bottom of the leaf. Fold the sides inward, then roll the leaf tightly from the bottom to the top. Repeat until all filling is used.

1. 1. Sear the meat layers: In a large, deep pot, heat sunflower oil or ghee. Sauté your lamb chops or beef oxtails for 3 minutes on each side until browned. Season lightly with salt, then temporarily remove the pot from the heat.
   2. Layer the pot: Arrange the rolled grape leaves neatly and tightly over the seared meat chops. Next, place the stuffed zucchini right on top of the grape leaves.
   3. Add the broth liquids: Pour in enough water to almost cover the zucchini and grape leaves. Season the liquid with salt and add 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter.
   4. Simmer to perfection: Bring the pot to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and let it simmer for 2 hours until the rice is tender and the meat pulls away from the bone. Finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice just before servin

Love Arabic Mahshi? Try These Recipes Next!

• Malfouf mahshi
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Stuffed Zucchini  and Eggplants (Mahshi Kousa wa Warak Inab)
• Sheik Al Mahshi
• Kousa Bil Laban
• Kousa Ablama

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Stuffed Zucchini and Grape Leaves

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Prep: 2 hours hours

Cook: 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Course

Main Course

Cuisine

#Middle Eastern

---

Lebanese

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Description

If there is one food I could eat every day without ever getting bored, it would have to be mahshi kousa wa warak enab. Everyone, at every age, loves stuffed zucchini and grape leaves. This dish brings back memories, fills the kitchen with the most wonderful aromas, and makes any day better. It’s comfort food at its best.

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 kg / 4 lb 8 oz small zucchini use Mexican grey squash for the best results
• ▢ 500 grams fresh or brined grape leaves; try to get your hands on tender grape leaves
• ▢ 2 cups short-grain rice
• ▢ 500 grams / 1 lb 2 oz minced beef or lamb
• ▢ 1 teaspoon seven-spice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sumac optional
• ▢ Salt to taste, for the filling and the whole pot
• ▢ 4 tablespoons ghee olive oil, or sunflower oil for the filling
• ▢ 1/3 cup ghee olive oil, or sunflower oil for sautéing the meat chops
• ▢ 500 grams / 1 lb 2 oz meat chops: beef oxtail lamb chops, or bone-in neck chops
• ▢ 1 –2 lemons depending on how lemony you like your kousa wa warak enab

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. Their pale green skin is smooth and shiny, making them ideal for stuffed kousa mahshi. They taste great and hold their shape without becoming soggy during cooking.
• To make the meat and rice filling: In a colander, rinse the rice under cold running water, rubbing it with your hands to remove as much excess starch as possible. Drain well.

  Mix the rice with the minced meat and ghee, then season with salt, seven-spice, black pepper, and sumac (optional). Your filling is now ready.
  
• Blanch the grape leaves: Blanch the fresh or brined grape leaves in boiling water until they wilt and turn a darker green. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow them to cool completely.
• Stuff and roll the grape leaves: Using a sharp knife, trim the stem from each grape leaf, if it is still attached, and discard. Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, with the veiny side facing up. Place one teaspoon of the meat-and-rice filling across the bottom of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the leaf tightly from the bottom toward the top. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
  
• The zucchini: Wash, scrub, and dry the zucchini. Cut off the stem ends, then gently hollow out the center using a vegetable corer. Try to hollow it out as if you were carving a pumpkin, leaving about 1/3 inch (¾ cm) of flesh around the interior wall, or even a little more if you can do so without piercing the zucchini.

  It is simple, but it is still a skill that requires a little practice to master.
• Using your finger, stuff each zucchini with the rice and meat filling, leaving about ¼ inch (½ cm) of space at the top to allow for the rice to expand as it cooks. It is important not to overstuff.
  

• To Put Together

  In a large pot (make sure it is large enough to accommodate the zucchini, rolled grape leaves, and meat chops), heat the ghee and sauté the meat chops for 3 minutes on each side. Season with salt, then remove the pot from the stove.

  Arrange the grape leaves neatly over the meat chops, then place the zucchini on top. Add enough water to the pot to almost cover the grape leaves and zucchini. Season with salt and add 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter.
  
• Return the pot to the stovetop. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for two hours, or until fully cooked.
• Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve.
• You have two ways to present the dish:

  Drain the excess liquid from the pot by carefully tilting it over a bowl. Place a large serving platter over the pot, then carefully flip the pot over so that the mahshi is transferred onto the platter.

  Alternatively, arrange the rolled grape leaves and lamb chops on a large serving platter, placing them one roll at a time.

  How delectable!
  

Video

Notes

Storage: Stuffed zucchini and grape leaves can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Keyword grape leaves, Lemon Juice, zucchini

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