Stuffed courgette or zucchini is a very common meal in Turkey. The recipe below is for a meatless version, but you can easily add mince to the stuffing if you wish.
Ingredients:
5 courgettes
100ml olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, diced
200g rice
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chopped mint
1 lemon
Salt to taste
Sauté the finely chopped onions and pepper in a pan with olive oil over low heat for 2 minutes.
Add the rice and sauté for 2 more minutes before adding the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, mint and half a cup of water. Cook over low heat for 10 more minutes before adding the juice of 1 lemon.
Cut the courgettes in half and scrape out the inside. Fill the hollowed courgettes with the cooked mixture and set aside. Next, half fill a casserole dish with water, bring to the boil then add the tomato puree.
When it’s dissolved in the water, place in the stuffed courgettes and allow it to cook over low heat for 45-50 minutes. Serve immediately with a side such as garlic yogurt.
