Hollowed zucchini stuffed with rice and spiced ground meat, simmered in a light tomato broth, a comforting Lebanese family dinner.
Koosa mahshi is one of the most common dishes on a Lebanese family dinner table, small zucchini (koosa) hollowed with a special corer and filled with a rice and ground meat mixture before being gently simmered rather than baked. The filling is seasoned simply with baharat and a touch of tomato paste, using short-grain rice that expands as it cooks, absorbing flavor from both the meat and the surrounding tomato broth. Unlike baked stuffed vegetables, koosa mahshi is cooked entirely on the stovetop in a covered pot, the zucchini becoming meltingly tender in the simmering broth while the rice filling cooks through gently without drying out.
Serves 4
Use a zucchini corer to hollow out each zucchini, keeping the walls intact but thin, reserving the scooped flesh for another use.
Mix ground meat, rinsed rice, tomato paste, baharat, salt and pepper together.
Loosely fill each hollowed zucchini about three-quarters full with the rice and meat mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand.
Don't overstuff the zucchini — the rice needs room to swell as it absorbs the broth, or the zucchini will split.
Arrange the stuffed zucchini snugly in a pot, and pour in tomato juice and water until just covered.
Add garlic, dried mint and salt to the broth, bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer 35-40 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice is fully cooked.
Serve hot in shallow bowls with some of the tomato broth ladled over.
Leave room in the zucchini when stuffing — the rice expands significantly as it cooks and needs space, or the zucchini will split open.
Use a proper zucchini corer if possible; it makes hollowing much easier and more even than using a knife or spoon.
Keep the zucchini packed snugly together in the pot so they support each other and don't tip over during the simmer.
A vegetarian version fills the zucchini with rice, chickpeas and extra spices instead of meat.
Some households add a squeeze of lemon to the broth for extra tang.
Grape leaves stuffed with the same rice mixture are often cooked in the same pot for a mixed mahshi platter.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container with some of the broth; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if needed.
Mahshi, the broader category of stuffed vegetable dishes, is central to Levantine home cooking, with zucchini being one of the most commonly stuffed vegetables across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, each family passing down its own specific spice ratios.
Yes, though a corer makes the job much faster and more even; a thin paring knife and a small spoon can work as a substitute.
It was likely overstuffed — leave more room for the rice to expand next time, filling only about three-quarters full.
Simmer a little longer, checking that the broth level stays adequate, and make sure the zucchini were packed snugly so the heat distributes evenly.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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