Name: Lamb Stuffed Zucchini (Koosa) Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 2 large zucchini; For Sauce:; 28 oz tomatoes with juice; 2 tbsp tomato paste; ¾ cup water; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; For Stuffing:; ½ cup onion; 1 lb ground lamb; ¾ cup basmati rice; 2 tbsp olive oil; ½ cup water; 2 tbsp dried mint; 2 tsp salt

How To Make Lamb Stuffed Zucchini (Koosa)

This stuffed zucchini or koosa is filled with herby basmati rice and ground lamb, then simmered in rich tomato sauce for a flavorful Middle-Eastern dish.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 1 hour 25 minutes

Total: 1 hour 55 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

2large zucchini

For Sauce:

28oztomatoes with juice,(1 can), chopped
2tbsptomato paste
¾cupwater
¼tspground cinnamon

For Stuffing:

½cuponion,chopped
1lbground lamb
¾cupbasmati rice
2tbspolive oil,plus 1 tbsp for cooking
½cupwater
2tbspdried mint
2tspsalt

Instructions

Cut each zucchini in half and use a thin, sharp knife to hollow out each section, removing the seeds and leaving around ½-inch shell.

Sauce:

Combine the tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, water, and cinnamon in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook for about 20 minutes until thick

Stuffing:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Stir in the onion, then cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
Combine the cooked onion, lamb, rice, remaining olive oil, water, dried mint, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
Lightly stuff the lamb mixture into the hollowed-out zucchini sections. Place the stuffed zucchini in the simmering tomato sauce.
Cover the pot, then cook for about 1 hour until the rice is soft. If the sauce is very thin, simmer on the stove top until desired consistency is reached.
To serve, slice into 1-inch rounds and top with tomato sauce. Enjoy!