Delicious Lebanese Kousa Mahshi Recipe (Stuffed Zucchini)
Some dishes taste like home, and for Lebanese families, this kousa mahshi recipe is one of them. Small zucchini are hollowed out, filled with a fragrant mixture of spiced ground meat and rice, then gently simmered in a garlicky tomato broth until everything is meltingly tender.
The magic is in the contrast: soft zucchini giving way to a savory, cinnamon-and-mint-scented filling, all bathed in a broth that doubles as a sauce. It takes a little hands-on time to core and stuff, but the technique is simpler than it looks – and the result feeds a crowd.
Why This Kousa Mahshi Recipe Works
- The filling uses the classic Lebanese trio: 7 spice, cinnamon, and mint – the authentic flavor profile.
- Zucchini are filled only 3/4 full, so the rice has room to expand without bursting the squash.
- A heatproof plate keeps the stuffed zucchini submerged, so they cook evenly in the broth.
- The tomato broth is seasoned generously with garlic and finished with lemon, the traditional Lebanese touch.
- Small grey squash (sold as Mexican zucchini in US stores) hold their shape better than large watery zucchini.
Ingredients Needed
For the Zucchini
- Small Lebanese zucchini (grey squash)
Look for small, pale-green grey squash – often labeled “Mexican zucchini” or “calabacita” in US grocery stores. They are denser and less watery than regular dark-green zucchini, so they hold their shape during the long simmer. If you can only find regular zucchini, choose the smallest, firmest ones.
For the Filling
- Long-grain white rice
- Ground beef or lamb
- Yellow onion, finely diced
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Diced tomato
- Pine nuts
- Lebanese 7 spice
- Ground cinnamon
- Dried mint
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
The rice must go in raw – it cooks inside the zucchini, absorbing the meat juices and broth. Seven spice (a blend of allspice, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and more) plus extra cinnamon gives the filling its warm Lebanese character. Pine nuts add richness and a traditional touch; toast them first so they stay nutty, not soggy.
For the Tomato Broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Garlic cloves, whole
- Kosher salt
- Fresh lemon juice
The broth should taste well-seasoned on its own – it is the cooking liquid AND the sauce. Whole garlic cloves mellow as they simmer and can be mashed into the broth at the end. Lemon juice stirred in off the heat brightens everything.
How to Make Kousa Mahshi
Core the Zucchini
Trim a thin slice off both ends of each zucchini. Using a zucchini corer (or an apple corer), carefully twist and scoop out the flesh from one end, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell. Work slowly – a steady twist removes the core in ribbons. Save the scooped flesh for fritters or a frittata.
Mix the Filling
Rinse the rice and drain well. In a large bowl, combine the rice, ground meat, onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, pine nuts, 7 spice, cinnamon, dried mint, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. The mixture will look loose – that is correct.
Stuff the Zucchini
Fill each hollowed zucchini about 3/4 full with the filling, tapping the bottom gently so it settles. Do NOT pack it tight – rice expands as it cooks, and an overfilled zucchini will split. Plug the open end with a small piece of tomato or a few mint leaves to keep the filling in.
Simmer in Tomato Broth
Arrange the stuffed zucchini snugly in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Whisk the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and salt, then pour over the zucchini until nearly covered. Tuck in the whole garlic cloves. Lay a heatproof plate directly on the zucchini to keep them submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, covered, for 45-55 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice is cooked through. Stir in the lemon juice off the heat and rest 10 minutes before serving.
What Is Mahshi?
Mahshi simply means “stuffed” in Arabic, and it describes a whole family of dishes across the Middle East: stuffed zucchini (kousa), stuffed grape leaves (warak enab), stuffed onions, stuffed peppers, even stuffed cabbage. The formula is the same – a hollowed vegetable, a spiced rice filling (with or without meat), and a flavorful cooking liquid. Kousa mahshi is the Lebanese weeknight hero of the family: comforting, economical, and endlessly reheatable.
Why the 3/4 Fill Rule Matters
Rice roughly doubles in volume as it cooks, and inside a sealed zucchini there is nowhere for that expansion to go. Fill to the top and the squash splits, spilling filling into the broth. Fill only 3/4 full and the rice swells to fill the cavity perfectly – tender grains, intact zucchini. This is also why the filling goes in loose, never packed: packed rice cooks unevenly and turns gummy.
Recipe Tips
- Choose small, firm squash. Large zucchini are watery and collapse during simmering.
- Do not skip the plate trick. Zucchini that bob above the broth cook unevenly and dry out on top.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil bashes the stuffed squash against each other and tears them.
- Season the broth boldly. Bland broth means bland kousa – taste it before the zucchini go in.
- Rest before serving. Ten minutes off the heat lets the rice finish absorbing broth.
Recipe Variations
Vegetarian Kousa Mahshi
Meat-free: Omit the meat and double the rice, adding extra pine nuts, diced tomato, and a handful of chopped parsley. Add 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil to the filling for richness. The broth and method stay exactly the same.
Kousa Mahshi with Lamb
Lamb version: Swap the beef for ground lamb, the more traditional choice in Lebanon. Lamb’s richer flavor pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and mint. Everything else stays the same.
Yogurt Sauce Serving
Serving idea: Serve with plain full-fat yogurt or a drizzle of tahini thinned with lemon. The cool creaminess against the warm tomato broth is classic.
Troubleshooting
Why Is the Rice Still Hard Inside?
Three likely causes: the zucchini was packed too tightly, the simmer was too short, or the heat was too low for the broth to bubble gently around each piece. Give it another 10-15 minutes at a steady gentle simmer. Next time, fill looser and confirm the liquid is actually simmering, not just steaming.
Why Did My Zucchini Split Open?
Overfilling is the usual culprit – remember the 3/4 rule. A too-vigorous boil can also crack them. Fill loosely and keep the simmer lazy.
Why Is the Zucchini Mushy?
The squash was too large or overcooked. Small grey squash hold up far better than big watery ones. Start checking tenderness at 40 minutes – a paring knife should slide in with slight resistance.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Refrigerator Storage
Store kousa mahshi in its broth in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor actually improves overnight as the zucchini absorbs more broth.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze in the broth up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The zucchini softens a bit more after freezing but the flavor holds.
Make-Ahead Timeline
Core and stuff the zucchini up to a day ahead; refrigerate covered, then simmer when ready. Or cook fully a day ahead – this is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is kousa mahshi?
Kousa mahshi is a Lebanese dish of small zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with a mixture of spiced ground meat and rice, then simmered in a tomato broth. “Kousa” means zucchini and “mahshi” means stuffed in Arabic. It is a staple of Levantine home cooking.
What kind of zucchini is used for kousa mahshi?
Small Lebanese grey squash – pale green, dense, and short. In US stores, look for “Mexican zucchini,” “grey squash,” or “calabacita.” They are firmer and less watery than regular dark-green zucchini. Small regular zucchini work as a substitute.
Can I make kousa mahshi without meat?
Yes. Replace the meat with extra rice, more pine nuts, diced tomato, and chopped parsley, plus an extra spoonful of olive oil. The vegetarian version simmers in the same tomato broth and is just as comforting.
Why is the rice still hard inside my kousa mahshi?
The filling was likely packed too tightly, or the simmer was too short or too gentle. Rice needs loose space and sustained gentle heat to cook through. Give the pot another 10-15 minutes at a gentle simmer, and fill the zucchini more loosely next time.
How do I core zucchini without a special corer?
An apple corer works perfectly. In a pinch, use a small spoon or a grapefruit spoon: scrape from the cut end with a twisting motion, working in thin layers until only a 1/4-inch shell remains. Go slowly – patience prevents punctures.
Lebanese Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini) Recipe
Ingredients
For the Zucchini
- 12 small Lebanese zucchini , or 6 small regular zucchini halved grey squash
For the Filling
- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 lb ground beef or lamb
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small tomato, finely diced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Tomato Broth
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5-6 cups water
- 4 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Trim the ends of each zucchini. Using a zucchini or apple corer, carefully hollow out each one, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Reserve the flesh for another use.
- In a large bowl, combine the rinsed rice, ground meat, onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, pine nuts, 7 spice, cinnamon, dried mint, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix well with your hands.
- Fill each zucchini about 3/4 full with the filling – do not pack tightly. Plug the open ends with small tomato pieces or mint leaves.
- Arrange the stuffed zucchini snugly in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Whisk the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and salt; pour over the zucchini until nearly covered. Tuck in the whole garlic cloves and lay a heatproof plate on top to keep them submerged.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 45-55 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the rice is cooked through.
- Stir in the lemon juice off the heat. Rest 10 minutes, then serve with broth spooned over the top.
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