This is a traditional dish from the Levant. One here is fond of stuffed vegetables, vine leaves, cabbage leaves, peppers, aubergines, everything is filled (‘ mehshi ‘). This recipe is for courgettes, but that can also be replaced with eggplant or peppers, or you make different vegetables simultaneously and cooks who together until tender.

Ingredients

*

* 2 kg small courgettes (of a Turkish shop, the ordinary are too large)

* 2 kg tomatoes

* 2 cups rice

* 200 gr chopped meat (lamb or beef, not minced)

* dried mint

* parsley

* tomato puree

* Salt

* scoop of garlic

* butter oil or butter

* pepper

Preparation

Cook the rice a minute or five, cast off and add the beef, 2 tablespoons Mint and some pepper and salt. Don’t put a hefty klont butter or butter oil, everything must be mixed and then fairly greasy. Hollow the courgettes with a special knife (available at Turkish/Iranian/Moroccan store). Keep the ‘ caps ‘ button after filling the courgettes to close. Now fill the courgettes with the rice-meat mixture and close them off with the ‘ caps ‘.

Puree the tomatoes in the blender, add a scoop of garlic (less may also, of course), dried mint, bunch of parsley, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Put the courgettes in a pot and add the tomato mixture. Bring everything to a boil and let the courgettes cooked cooking. When courgettes are cooked do you get them from the pan (otherwise they break open). Serve them with the tomato sauce separately.

Tasty!

For more recipes from the Middle East, check out the Special recipes from the Middle East.