Hearty and full of texture, Mahshi/ Koussa wa Batenjan Mahshi/ refers to zucchini and eggplants that are stuffed with a mixture of rice and minced meat and simmered in tomato sauce. Even though this classic Lebanese comfort food dish is easy to prepare and made of simple ingredients, it inherently feels like a special occasion dish. After one and half hour of simmering, the zucchini (kousa) and eggplants become tender and enveloped in a rich deeply flavored garlicky tomato sauce — it brings all the savory, umami flavors that will no doubt warm your soul.

Mahshi/ Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant / Kousa wa Batenjan Mahshi

The word Mahshi, in Arabic, means stuffed. It refers to anything jammed with rice and minced meat from cabbage leaves, vine leaves, Swiss chard, tripes, stuffed chicken, bell peppers to eggplants and zucchini. Kousa/ batenjan mahshi is found in every Arab household, recipes may vary from region to region, family to family, diaspora to diaspora, but finally the main elements are rice and minced meat, cooked in tomato sauce / lemon sauce or a yogurt sauce.  Here is a previous recipe on the blog about Kousa bil laban/ Zucchini in cooked yogurt.

Use two different kinds of veggies

Using two different kinds of vegetables, zucchini and eggplant, adds color and variety, and both are great candidates for stuffing, but if you have only one type, that’s fine, too.  A small amount of dried mint is responsible for a lot of the flavor here.

How do you hollow the zucchini(kousa) and eggplants?

You need to hollow out the insides of the zucchini and eggplant with a special tool, called in Arabic mankara leaving the vegetables otherwise intact, and fill them with ground lamb or beef, rice and spices before simmering them in a tomato sauce.

What type of zucchini is used?

Try to put your hands on small-medium Lebanese zucchini no longer than 7 inches/17 cm, and sometimes called Mexican grey squash, their pale green skin is smooth and shiny, are ideal to make stuffed kousa, they taste great and hold their shape without getting soggy while cooking. Grey zucchini or summer squash is the variety used in Lebanon and the Middle East to make kousa mahshi. Choose the firm with smooth and shiny skin.

What type of eggplant is used to make mahshi?

Use the small and slim variety, they are perfect for stuffing. The baby variety has a more intense flavor, the flesh is way more tender and they contain fewer seeds.

Do I have to peel the skin of the grey zucchini or eggplants?

Absolutely not, their nutrition lives mainly in the skin, so keep in the peel. Plus, it’s so thin and soft that there’s really no need to remove it.

What are the flavor enhancers in Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant/ Koussa wa batingen mahshi?

Garlic, seven-spice, cinnamon powder, tomato paste and dried mint provide complexity and richness of flavors to koussa mahshi. together they create a harmonious taste.

What can I do with the zucchini flesh?

It is common practice to use the zucchini flesh in making Lebanese zucchini fritters, you can even sautee with some olive oil and cook them with eggs.

What type of meat should I use?

When it comes to meat, lamb is my favorite, but beef is commonly used as well.  It is advisable to use short-grain rice that tend to absorb less liquid resulting in a stickier filling, the most common used is the Egyption rice or Italian Arborio.

What type of rice should I use for the filling?

It is advisable to use short-grain rice that tend to absorb less liquid resulting in a stickier filling, the most common used is the Egyption rice or Italian Arborio.

Why does it take 1 1/2 hours to cook the dish?

I always cook all kinds of stuffed food slow and low, slow cooking creates depth of flavor.

How to store Koussa wa Batenjan mahshi?

What’s great about this recipe is that it makes for such delicious leftovers. To store: Let it cool before storing in airtight containers. It will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days. To freeze: The entire batch can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container, but it does loose its freshness.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini: Lebanese zucchini/ grey squash
• Slim eggplants: Chinese eggplant is a good variety
• Minced meat, lamb or beef both works well, preferably 25 precent fat
• Seven-spice
• Cinnamon powder
• White pepper
• Salt
• Garlic cloves, crushed
• Dried mint leaves
• Ghee or butter
• Rice, short grain rice, like Arborio or Egyption rice
• Tomato Paste: provides acidity and flavor

Separately wash the zucchini and eggplants. Trim the ends and cut off the stalk end and dried tips.

Start by coring the zucchini: Using mankara  a tool used in the Middle East to core out the pulps of zucchini and eggplants) the Try to hollow just like you are carving a pumpkin, hollow out the center leaving 1/3 inch/ ¾ cm, around the interior wall and maybe more if you mange doing that without poking the zucchini. It is simple, it is a skill that needs a bit of practice to master it.

To core the eggplants: Roll the eggplants on a countertop, one at a time, back and forth, by exerting pressure with your hand, this will make the eggplants more tender which makes the coring process way more easy. Hollow out, using the same method you did with the zucchini, and maybe hollow a bit more around the interior walls of eggplants.

In a colander, rinse the rice under running cold water and rub with your hands to remove the excess starch as you can and drain. Mix together the rice with the minced meat and oil, and season with spice and salt. Now your filling is ready.

Using your finger, stuff each zucchini and eggplant with the rice and meat filling, leave about ¼ inch or ½ cm of space at top, allowing for the expansion of the rice as it cooks. It is important not to over stuff.

Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a large pot that can accomodate them. Dilute the tomato paste in the 8 cups of water, add the crushed garlic, whisk to infuse together and gently pour over, almost covering the zucchini (kousa) and eggplants, making sure the stuffed end is up.

Once the mixture boils, dust with dried mint and adjust salt to your taste preference. Reduce heat to low, cover up and keep it simmering for 1 1/2 hour to two hours, allowing the zucchini to cook through and flavors mellow and develop together. 

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Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant / Koussa Mahshi wa Batenjan reminds me of home. It was in my mother’s monthly dinner rotation. Just thinking about it brings back images of my mother wearing her apron at the stove preparing a batch.  I’ve always loved Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant / Mahshi Koussa wa batenjan, every bite of this dish is pure comfort. It’s warm and packs lots of flavor and will surely satisfy you on any weeknight — it is nourishing enough to power the whole family members.

• Author: Hadia Zebib Khanafer
• Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
• Prep time 30 minutes
• Serving: 5 to 6 persons
• Cuisine:  Lebanese and Middle Eastern

Ingredients:

• 1 kg/ 2 lb 4 oz small  Lebanese Zucchini/ grey squash
• 1 kg/ 2 lb 4 oz slim eggplants
• 500 grams/ 1 lb 2 oz lamb or beef both work well, preferably about 25 precent fat
• 1 leveled teaspoon seven-spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Salt to taste
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon Ghee or butter
• 2 cups rice, short grain rice, like Arborio or Egyption rice
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste

Directions:

1. Separately wash the zucchini and eggplants. Trim the ends and cut off the stalk end and dried tips.
2. Start by coring the zucchini: Using mankara (a tool used in the Middle East to core out the pulps of zucchini and eggplants) the Try to hollow just like you are carving a pumpkin, hollow out the center leaving 1/3 inch/ ¾ cm, around the interior wall and maybe more if you mange doing that without poking the zucchini. It is simple, it is a skill that needs a bit of practice to master it.
3. To core the eggplants: Roll the eggplants on a countertop, one at a time, back and forth, by exerting pressure with your hand, this will make the eggplants more tender which makes the coring process way more easy. Hollow out, using the same method you did with the zucchini, and maybe hollow a bit more around the interior walls of eggplants.
4. In a colander, rinse the rice under running cold water and rub with your hands to remove the excess starch as you can and drain. Mix together the rice with the minced meat and oil, and season with spice and salt. Now your filling is ready.
5. Using your finger, stuff each zucchini and eggplant with the rice and meat filling, leave about ¼ inch or ½ cm of space at top, allowing for the expansion of the rice as it cooks. It is important not to over stuff.
6. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a large pot that can accomodate them. Dilute the tomato paste in the 8 cups of water, add the crushed garlic, whisk to infuse together and gently pour over, almost covering the zucchini (kousa) and eggplants, making sure the stuffed end is up.
7. Once the mixture boils, dust with dried mint, add the ghee or butter and adjust salt to your taste preference. Reduce heat to low, cover up and keep it simmering for 1 1/2 hours to two hours, allowing the zucchini to cook through and flavors mellow and develop together. Serve it with laban!

Looking for another Lebanese classic to learn about? Kousa Bil Laban , zucchini in yogurt!

If you make the "Koussa wa Batenjan Mahshi", leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine