Sheikh al-Mahshi — Stuffed Zucchini

"The Sheikh of Stuffed Things" — small zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with a filling of spiced
ground lamb, pine nuts, and onions, simmered in a thick tomato-pomegranate sauce. The king of Syrian
and Lebanese stuffed vegetables, traditionally served with rice and yogurt.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (lamb, butter, optional yogurt)

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:
- 12 small zucchini (about 10-12 cm each), preferably the pale green Levantine variety
- 500 g ground lamb
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 60 g pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
- Salt and black pepper

For the sauce:
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 500 ml water

For serving:
- Cooked rice (basmati or short-grain with vermicelli)
- Thick plain yogurt

METHOD:
1. Core the zucchini: cut off the stem ends and use a long narrow corer (or a very small spoon) to hollow each zucchini, leaving a 5 mm shell. Work carefully — they are fragile. Reserve the flesh for another use (soup, omelette).
2. Make filling: heat ghee in a skillet. Sauté onion 7 minutes. Add pine nuts, toast 2 minutes. Add lamb, breaking up; cook 10 minutes until browned. Add allspice, cinnamon, cloves, salt, pepper. Cool.
3. Stuff each zucchini about three-quarters full (not to the brim — filling expands). Use a small spoon or your fingers.
4. Make sauce: whisk all sauce ingredients in a wide Dutch oven or deep skillet. Bring to a simmer.
5. Arrange stuffed zucchini in a single layer in the sauce. Cover and simmer gently 40-50 minutes, spooning sauce over occasionally, until zucchini are tender and sauce has thickened.
6. Taste sauce for salt and acidity. Adjust with lemon and pomegranate molasses.
7. Serve over rice with a big dollop of yogurt on the side.

NOTES:
- The zucchini must be small and thin-skinned. Large zucchini have tough skins and fall apart. At Middle Eastern grocers, look for "Lebanese zucchini" or "kousa."
- Corers (apple corer, small mincer) are essential. Do not try to hollow zucchini with a regular knife — they will crack.
- The pomegranate molasses gives the sauce its distinctive balance of sweet and sour. Do not omit.
- Make ahead: flavours deepen overnight. Reheat gently before serving.

NUTRITION (per 2 stuffed zucchini, approximate):
Calories: 380 | Protein: 22 g | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Fat: 22 g | Fibre: 5 g