Halal Iraqi Stuffed Zucchini Dolmas Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine lamb filling ingredients. Mix thoroughly with hands and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Wash Zucchinis well.
• Depending on the type of zucchini used cut in 4 inch pieces or use whole small (cusa) zucchini sold in Middle Eastern stores by just removing their tops.
• I use the wrong end of a small spoon to remove the zucchini innards, there are gadgets sold to make cusa which can be used just be careful the object you chose to use is not too sharp or to large or the zucchini's may break.
• Rinse hollowed zucchinis with water.
• Discard innards.
• Stuff zucchinis with Lamb Filling, fairly full but not packed. (The rice will expand) If you like you may cork them with their tops shaved down a bit if using small cusa. I have made them without closer and they are fine!
• Oil a pan that will fit the zucchinis in evenly, packed together.
• Place zucchinis in pan, pour lemon juice on top and salt to taste then drizzle olive oil & date syrup over top.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake a further 25-35 minutes or until cusa can be easly priked with a fork.
• *If extra liquid is needed add a little broth to the pan while cooking.
• Tomato sauce:.
• Heat olive oil a little and cook garlic for one minute or just until LIGHT brown.
• Add Tomato sauce and paste and simmer for 10 minutes then stir in as much drippings from the cooked zucchini as needed to make a semi thick sauce add baharat.
• To Serve:.
• Place zucchinis over a bed of rice (I like to cook mine in a light stock) and serve with tomato sauce and a fresh salad.

Steps:

• Wash and hollow out baby zucchini's cutting tops off where the stems grow. Put all together in a large pot. Discard innards.
• Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds and membrane. Add to pot including tops. Discard innards.
• Mix ground beef (CW rinses and drains), white Basmati rice, chopped onion, chopped flat leaf parsley, sea salt, to taste & baharat.
• Stuff each vegetable until just about full pressing lightly to make sure there are no air pockets. If you press to hard the result will be too dry.
• Cork each vegetable with stem end cutting to fit if too large. Return each.
• vegetable to the pot in as even a layer as possible.
• Keep remaining filling to side as it will be used in the sauce.
• Add tomato paste to some water and mix (whisk works best) until no lumps remain. Add to pot along with more water until just over top of the vegetables, Add some extra bahrat spice mix to taste, sea salt, and bring to the boil.
• Cover and cook until partially done adding remaining filling (it shouldn't be a lot) to the surrounding liquid so that once cooked it will form a sauce not a dry rice dish. So if needed add more water/sea salt. Boil/simmer until done.
• Remove vegetables and arrange on a large platter, spoon sauce around.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, 2 1/2 cans of tomato paste, parsley, green onion, butter, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Before adding uncooked rice, rinse until water runs clear; this keeps the rice from becoming sticky. Add rice after rinsing and mix contents until blended well.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add cabbage. Boil until just tender enough to fold, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, hollow out bell peppers, eggplants, and zucchini.
• Stuff hollowed vegetables with meat mixture. Set in a large pot (pack vegetables together so there isn't much room in between them). Fill cabbage leaves with 3 to 4 tablespoons of leftover meat mixture and set in the pot with the other vegetables. Pour water in the pot on top of the vegetables until almost covered. Stir in remaining tomato paste. Weigh down the food by placing a heavy, heat-proof plate on top.
• Bring water to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cover the pot. Let cook for 1 hour. Drain half of the water in the pot (leave heavy plate until done cooking) and recover, reducing heat to a simmer, and allow to slow cook for 1 hour more. Serve warm and enjoy!