Kousa Mahshi (Courgettes Stuffed with Lamb and Rice in Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients

• 6 courgettes
• 150 g short grain rice
• 300 g lamb mince
• 1 tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 500 g passata
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 1 lemon

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the short grain rice until the water runs clear and drain well. Finely chop the tomato and mix it in a bowl with the rice, lamb mince, allspice, cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp water.

2. 2

   Cut the stalk ends off the courgettes, then halve each one across. Hollow out each half from the cut end with an apple corer or a teaspoon, leaving the rounded end closed and the walls about 5mm thick.

3. 3

   Fill each courgette about three-quarters full with the stuffing, without packing it down, as the rice swells. Lay them snugly in a large, wide pan; roll any leftover stuffing into small balls and tuck them in between.

4. 4

   Whisk the passata with the tomato purée, crushed garlic, dried mint, 1 tsp salt and 400ml water and pour it over the courgettes. Top up with water so they are just covered, then sit a heatproof plate on top to hold them down.

5. 5

   Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes, until the rice in the centre of a courgette is soft and the lamb is cooked through with no pink remaining.

6. 6

   Squeeze in the juice of the lemon and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes more. Serve the courgettes in shallow bowls with plenty of the sauce.