Recipe of the week: Kousa, Eggplant Mahshi

Ingredients
•    1 kg -Eggplant –long types- small
•    1 kg -Baby marrow
•    1 ½  cups chicken or lamb  broth – boiling
•    1  cup fresh tomato sauce
•    50 g- parsley leaves whole- (with stems)
•    50g - coriander leaves  whole- (with stems)
•    One large Potato sliced
Ingredients for the staffing
•    3 cups – of Egyptian rice (soaked in water for 2hours)
•    350 g of ground lamb
•    2 large onions -  chopped
•    3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
•    60 g- parsley leaves - freshly chopped
•    60g - coriander leaves - freshly chopped
•    80g- Dill leaves - freshly chopped
•    ½ cup fresh tomato sauce
•    Pinch of Seven spices
•    ½ tsp of coriander powder
•    ½ tsp of dried mint
•    ½ pinch of cinnamon
•    ½  teaspoon sugar
•    3- 4 cloves garlic minced
•    100 ml- of olive oil
•    2 tbsp. chili sauce
•    Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking instructions
Step 1- Prepare your zucchini by cutting off the stems and ends.
Hollow out the squash and eggplant using a corer (for this you can use zucchini corer or Apple corer) Make sure not to damage and keep enough space for the stuffing.

Step 2 -Prepare the filling by washing the rice 2-3 times. Combine all the ingredients reserved for the staffing to make. All of them mix well, but be careful not to break the rice, as it is sensitive when it’s not cooked.

Step 3- Stuff the squash and eggplant with your filling. Do not overfill or they will explode while cooking. Leave about ½ inch of room at the top.
Step 4 - Cut a medium-sized tomato into chunks. Put one chunk of tomato in each of the stuffed squash and eggplant. This helps the filling stay inside.

Step 5- In a baking tray start by layering potato slices, whole parsley, and coriander leaves.
Then followed by stuffed squash and eggplant. Adding the potatoes is a great tip to ensure that the by marrow and eggplant will not touch the bottom of the tray.

Step 6- Fill with boiling broth, and tomato fresh sauce until all the squash are covered. Add some crushed garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat for 35 to 40 minutes.

Step 7- After 35 minutes add the dried mint and cook for an additional five-5 minutes.

Recipe courtesy: Executive Chef Sam, Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat