Lebanese Koosa (Stuffed Yellow Squash)
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 7 -8 yellow squash (Koosa)
- 1 cup rice (Basmati Preferred, White rice will work)
- 1 1⁄2 lbs ground lamb
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1⁄2 onion (yellow is milder, white has more bite)
- pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
- lemon juice
- 1 pinch mint
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- water
directions
- Cut stems from squash and scoop out seeds. Because of the small size of the squash, you may twirl a knife in the flesh to scrape the seeds. The most effective method is to take a flat handle silver spoon and use the handle end to scrape out the seeds. You may rinse out the inside with water.
- Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.
- Slice onion and add to hot olive oil.
- Let fry for about 3-5 minutes while you make the stuffing.
- In a large bowl, combine lamb, rice, and spices. The best method is to get in it with your hands and just smoosh and mix without any sort of utensils.
- Add cans of tomato sauce and diced tomato to the onions.
- Stuff squash with mixture. Leave about a half inch to a quarter inch of room at the end as the rice will expand. Also, do not pack too tightly as the expanding rice will break the squash.
- Add the stuffed squashes to the pan.
- Chop the garlic cloves into fine pieces and sprinkle between the squash in the pan.
- Add water to just cover the squash and let simmer over medium heat for 40 minutes.
- Squeeze a few drops fresh lemon juice over squash and sprinkle a pinch of mint.
- Allow to cook another 10 minutes or so.
- **Note** I have made this several more times and revised only the cooking time slightly. I found it somewhat easier to cut the squashes in half from the start. Additionally, I always test the filling to make sure the rice is fully cooked.
Reviews
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thank you so much for posting. i once had this at someones place and it was delicious. unfortunately, i never wrote the recipe down and couldn't work out the nationality of the dish because she was of a very varied background - lebanese,egyptian, greek, macedonian, to name a few! i can't wait to try this dish. thanks again.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I'm on a mission to produce home-maker type meals on a working girl's schedule!
When I was very young, my mother was a homemaker and would make these amazing meals that I'll never forget. From an early age I would browse her many cookbooks and always held an interest in the neat ideas and recipes I found. When I was older and sometimes home alone, I would find a recipe we had the ingredients for and try my hand at it. Often without permission, and often substituting things that did not go with the dish AT ALL, but a learning experience all the same. :)