Kousa Mahshi Bi Laban

Ingredients

• 12 small pale courgettes, about 1.2kg
• 200g short-grain rice
• 300g minced lamb
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 1/2 tsp Lebanese seven spice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.2kg full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp fine salt, for the sauce
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp dried mint
• 1 tbsp ghee, for the sauce

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then drain it well
• Trim the stalk end from each courgette, leaving the base intact
• Hollow each courgette with a narrow vegetable corer, working the tool in and out and turning it, until the walls are about 4mm thick and the base is still closed
• Rinse the hollowed courgettes and stand them upside down to drain
• Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt
• Beat the egg with the cornflour and a ladleful of the yogurt until completely smooth

Steps

1. Mix the drained rice, minced lamb, ghee, seven spice, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl with your hands until evenly combined.
2. Push the stuffing into each courgette with your finger, filling it only three quarters of the way so the rice has room to swell.
3. Stand the stuffed courgettes in a wide pot in a snug single layer, or two shallow layers if needed.
4. Pour in enough boiling salted water to cover them by 2cm.
5. Set an upturned plate on top to stop the courgettes bobbing, and bring the pot to a simmer.
6. Cook for 25 minutes, until a courgette gives easily when squeezed and the rice inside is tender.
7. Lift the courgettes out carefully with tongs and reserve 250ml of their cooking liquid.
8. Pour the yogurt into a heavy pot, whisk in the egg and cornflour mixture and the salt, and add the reserved cooking liquid.
9. Set the pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly in one direction with a wooden spoon for about 8 minutes, until the yogurt comes to a bare simmer and thickens to a glossy pouring sauce.
10. Lower the courgettes gently into the yogurt and simmer for 12 minutes so they take on the sauce.
11. Heat the tablespoon of ghee in a small pan, add the garlic paste and dried mint, and swirl for 30 seconds until fragrant.
12. Pour the mint garlic ghee over the pot and rock it gently to spread it through.
13. Rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes before serving, so the sauce settles and clings.