Lebanese Kousa Mahshi is a traditional Lebanese recipe. It's a made from stuffed zucchini in a super rich and garlicky tomato broth, stuffed with juicy ground meat, and flavorful rice - amazing!
Even with few ingredients, you can cook a heart-warming and comforting dish that everyone will go crazy for!
Since my husband's family is Lebanese, I make sure to master some of their favorite Lebanese dishes. Kousa Mahshi is one of his favorites and has now become a family favorite.
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So, What Is Kousa?
Kousa can go by a few names: coosa, koosa, kusa, kousa mahshi. If you're looking for a new special to add to your weekend dinner menus, I highly reccomend this comfort dish.
Kousa is the Arabic name for zucchini or squash. So, this stuffed Kousa Lebanese recipe is just that! In my humble opinion it may just be the most underrated Middle Eastern dish...
The best part? It only uses one large pot and involves a simple cooking process! So less clean up and more time? Yes please.
I often serve it with my popular Fattoush Salad or Lebanese Potato Salad for an incredible meal that's bursting with flavors. You can also try it with pita and my all-time favorite, spicy red hummus, for a more filling and flavorful bite!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy, No-Hassle Recipe: Okay, the prep may seem tricky... but it's not complicated! So, you can put this on the table without breaking a sweat!
Perfect for Dinners and Gatherings! Make your spread diverse with this popular Middle Eastern dish. I bet it'll be a new favorite on your table. The best part? You can easily double or triple the batch!
Healthy and Tasty! You don't have to choose one! Kousa mahshi is a great way to get your vegetable dosage while satisfying your cravings for Lebanese cuisine!
Customize to Your Taste: This recipe is versatile and can be adjusted according to your preferences. You can add different spices, fillings, or toppings to make it your own unique creation.
Ingredients for Kousa
So, what is Kousa made of? Simple ingredients of course!
Lebanese Zucchini/Kousa: Kousa is an Arabic word for squash, and zucchini is squash! Use whatever type of zucchini you like, and this authentic kousa recipe will make it work. I've tried it with a mix of green and yellow summer squash, and the aesthetic vibe was perfect.
Can of Crushed Tomatoes: We need this to make a flavorful tomato broth for our stuffed zucchini. Tomato paste and tomato juice work just as well!
Rice: Short-grain rice will give you a mushy bite, whereas long-grain rice cooks up to be fluffy and more flavorful. I prefer long-grain like Basmatic but you can experiment to find your perfect match!
Ground Beef: Sirloin is my best pick because it's flavorful and not too fatty. You can also use chuck, ground lamb, or a mixture of both! & If you want to try another delicious beef recipe, try out my Easy Beef Kofta Recipe!
Spices: For this delicious Lebanese kousa recipe, you only need cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Garlic Cloves: I love the garlicky touch in this recipe, but you can reduce the amount of garlic if you prefer.
Onion: A medium-sized onion is all we need to add some sweetness and depth to the dish. Use yellow onion!
You'll also need olive oil for cooking savory meat. If you like, squeeze some lemon juice on top right after it finishes cooking.
For full recipe and ingredient details, find the recipe card attached at the bottom of the post.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Brown the ground beef and onion mixture. Stir in spices.
Step 2: Mix the uncooked rice with the beef mixture.
Step 3: Core the squash.
Step 4: Stuff the hollow squash with the beef mixture.
Step 5: Stand the stuffed squash in a large pot, leaning them over against the side of the pot.
Step 6: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, add in the garlic cloves and onion quarters then season the broth with salt.
Step 7: Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to medium low heat and cook for 45-50 minutes.
Step 8: Serve 1-2 stuffed squash with extra broth spooned over it. Top with mint/parsley and strained yogurt (Labneh).
Tools Needed To Make Kousa
While this is a pretty easy recipe, there are a few things I've found along the way that will help make the whole process easier when preparing the Kousa!
Zucchini corer - this little tool has come in handy more times than I can count! It is a long, curved tool with a wooden handle that is perfect for removing the core of vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, and more!
Large heavy bottom pot - this is a staple in any kitchen, but definitely for this recipe you want something large that will fit all of the zucchini when it is standing upright. I've linked a large dutch oven...then you can also use it to make easy dutch oven bread!
Tips and Tricks
- Don't throw away the cored-out zucchini flesh. You can use it in zucchini bread or add it to a vegetable stir fry.
- Sometimes, the rice mixture oozes out of the Mexican squash and into the tomato paste - bummer! If you don't want your dish to be a mess before you can plate it, seal each piece of zucchini with a tomato wedge before cooking. Also, no over-stuffing, please!
- Cover your Lebanese stuffed zucchini with a plate, just like grape leaves, to keep it in place. This trick works wonders for those who don't have a pressure cooker!
- Soak and wash zucchini with salt water to make it firmer. You'd be surprised how much difference this extra step makes!
- Sprinkle some fresh herbs for a pop of texture before serving your dish.
Variations to Try
Try Another Meat and Rice Stuffing. You don't have to stick to ground beef to make kousa mahshi - minced chicken or lamb works, too!
Vegetarian Kousa! Not a fan of the meat version? No problem, make a veggie filling with bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. You can even swap squash for baby eggplants for a new experience! & If you need another vegan or vegetarian option to serve, try my Falafel Kebabs!
Add an Extra Element. I love experimenting! So, I once topped my Lebanese stuffed kousa squash with pine nuts, and did we love that crunch! Yummy!
Try Kousa bin Laban! It's basically Lebanese squash cooked in yogurt. It is a great alternative if you are out of tomatoes or can't find a tomato can! Even chicken broth will work.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's sometimes called Mexican zucchini and you can usually find it at your local grocery store. Sometimes If that's no luck, try your area's farmer's market. Middle Eastern stores are a good place to look, too!
Yep! You can use an apple corer or a zucchini corer to get the most of the flesh out.
If you don't have a corer, I recommend using a paring knife. It's the best way to avoid puncturing holes in your squash! If you can get your hands on one, an electric veggie corer drill is magical!
You can. But first, allow your cooked kousa mahshi to come to room temperature. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container and slide it into the freezer.
I know a few people who do, but when I tried it, my kousa turned out too soft. I didn't like it, so I didn't try it again. There's no harm in trying, though - it might work for you!
This is up to you! Some people mix the filling together with raw beef or lamb and let the stewing process cook the filling, but I prefer to cook it before hand!
Related Lebanese Recipes
If you tried this Kousa recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Kousa (Lebanese Recipe!)
Equipment
- zucchini corer
- stock pot
- 1 skillet
- 1 mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 10-12 Lebanese zucchini sometimes it can be called Mexican zucchini. OR just get 4 regular sized zucchini
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup rice
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- fresh mint or parsley for garnish
Instructions
Kousa Filling
- Dice ½ of of the onion and reserve the other whole half for the stock pot.
- Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
- When it is almost completely cooked through stir in the uncooked rice and set aside.
- Cut off just the ends of the zucchini so they would stand flat and core out the inside (If you have full size zucchini, cut them in half to create 2 shorter zucchini and core them.)
- Fill the zucchini about ¾ of the way up with the ground beef mixture (leaving room for the rice to expand as it cooks)
- Carefully place the zucchini standing up like soldiers in a pot, It's ok if they lean over a little bit. You want them to be covered by the tomato broth!
- If the whole amount of meat mixture doesn't fit in the zucchini, just scoop it into the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in whole can of tomatoes, then fill the can up with water and pour that in as well. Add enough water to mostly cover the zucchini. Season the water with 2 teaspoon salt.
- Cut the other ½ of the onion into quarters and wedge them In between the zucchini as well as the whole garlic cloves.
- Over medium high heat, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 50 minutes until rice is cooked.
- Serve 1 or 2 zucchini on a plate and spoon extra tomato broth over the top. Sprinkle with mint, parsley, and top with labneh
Notes
- Don't throw away the cored-out zucchini flesh. You can use it in zucchini bread or add it to a vegetable stir fry.
- Sometimes, the rice mixture oozes out of the Mexican squash and into the tomato paste - bummer! If you don't want your dish to be a mess before you can plate it, seal each piece of zucchini with a tomato wedge before cooking. Also, no over-stuffing, please!
- Cover your Lebanese stuffed zucchini with a plate, just like grape leaves, to keep it in place. This trick works wonders for those who don't have a pressure cooker!
- Soak and wash zucchini with salt water to make it firmer. You'd be surprised how much difference this extra step makes!
- Sprinkle some fresh herbs for a pop of texture before serving your dish.
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