Stuffed Zucchini, Peppers, Eggplant
(Mahshi)
Stuffed vegetables, especially zucchini, is found throughout our cuisine. These are commonly eaten on special occasions, such as Shabbat and holidays.
Ingredients:
To get started, you’ll need the following ingredients.
2lbs lean ground beef
1 large grated onion
1 cup of washed rice (not cooked)
1 cup of shredded carrots
Lemon Juice from one large lemon
1 tablespoon cooking oil of choice
1 16 oz can of tomato sauce
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 bunch of fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Zucchini
Peppers (mini or regular sized)
Eggplant
Making the stuffing:
[Note: This is the same recipe that we used for our stuffed cabbage.]
The stuffing seems daunting at first - but you’ll be an expert in no time at all. This stuffing is traditionally made with meat, but you may make it vegetarian if you prefer. A very similar stuffing is used in other dishes. It is thus helpful to master this general technique once; so that you can make small adaptations for other recipes. In a future recipe, we may teach you how to make all of these ingredients from scratch
Mix the ingredients (everything except the vegetables-to-be-stuffed) together in a large bowl, making note of the following:
Diced Tomatoes: Do not pour in the juice that comes from the diced tomatoes. Only pour in the diced tomatoes themselves. Save the juice for later in this recipe.
Tomato Sauce: Only pour in about half of the can (or 1 cups worth). Save the rest for later in this recipe.
Photo: Ezra Moussa
Preparing the Vegetables:
Hollow out the vegetables you intend to stuff. This process is a bit slow at first, but as you build muscled memory, it will speed up. Feel free to use any tool that will help you hollow out the vegetables: knife, spoon, etc. For the zucchini, if you would like to serve smaller pieces, simply cut them in half or thirds.
Stuff the vegetables with your filling and separate by kind and add into a large pot(5-6 quarts).
Cooking the Vegetables:
Pour the leftover juice from the diced tomato can and the remaining tomato sauce into the pot with a tablespoon of oil and ~¾ cup of water. Place a dinner plate onto the pot to keep the everything down, then cover the pot with a lid. Heat on high until the pot boils and them lower the heat to medium low and let sit for an hour. The sauce should be at the level of the top row of the vegetables throughout the entire cooking process, so that the rice can cook.
After an hour, try one. If the rice is cooked, they are ready.
Serving:
You may serve the dish hot, cold or at room temperature, and many people garnish the dish with dill.
