Stuffed Zucchini with Beef, Rice and Mint
Zucchini are hollowed out, filled with a savory ground beef and rice filling seasoned with cumin, cinnamon and herbs, and braised in a tomato broth. Served with a cool garlic yogurt sauce with sumac.
By yumbelo · 4 servings · 75 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 pc medium zucchini
- 400 g ground beef
- 150 g long-grain rice
- 1 pc onion
- 1 bunch bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch bunch fresh mint
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can can chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pc garlic cloves
- 300 ml water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pinch of pepper
- 400 g Greek yogurt (10% fat)
- 1 tsp sumac, for sprinkling
Method
- Rinse the rice under cold water and let it drain. Finely dice the onion, and finely chop the parsley and mint.
- Mix the ground beef, rice, onion, parsley, mint, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp tomato paste thoroughly in a bowl.
- Cut the zucchini into pieces about 5 cm long and hollow them out with a spoon or melon baller, leaving a thin wall.
- Loosely fill the zucchini pieces with the filling, not too tightly, since the rice will still swell. Place the pieces close together in a large pot.
- Stir together the chopped tomatoes, the remaining tomato paste, the crushed garlic cloves, the olive oil, the lemon juice and the water, and pour over the zucchini so they are about half covered.
- Cover the pot and simmer over medium to low heat for about 45 minutes, until the rice and zucchini are cooked. Once in between, carefully spoon the broth over the zucchini.
- Mix the yogurt with a finely grated garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Serve the zucchini warm with the broth, sprinkle with sumac and serve the yogurt on the side.