Stuffed squash

{{Short description|Dish common in Egypt and the former Ottoman domain}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Stuffed squash

| image = Punjene tikvice.jpg

| image_size = 288px

| caption = Stuffed squash

| alternate_name = Stuffed zucchini

| country =

| region = The Balkans, Egypt, Turkey, and the Levant

| national_cuisine = Egyptian, Levantine, Turkish

| creator =

| type = Dolma

| course = Main course

| served = Hot

| main_ingredient = Summer squashes, minced meat, rice

| minor_ingredient = onions, spices, tomato sauce

| variations =

| calories =

| similar_dish = Stuffed peppers

| other =

}}

Stuffed squash, courgette, marrow, mahshi, kousa, or zucchini is a dish common in Egypt,{{Cite book |last=Abdennour |first=Samia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9GljEAAAQBAJ&dq=stuffed+courgette+egypt&pg=PT193 |title=Egyptian Cooking: And Other Middle Eastern Recipes |date=2005-10-01 |publisher=American University in Cairo Press |isbn=978-1-61797-266-9 |language=en}} the Levant, the Balkans and the Ottoman cuisine, a kind of dolma. It consists of various kinds of squash or zucchini stuffed with rice and sometimes meat and cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. The meat version is served hot, as a main course. The meatless version is considered an "olive-oil dish" and is often eaten at room temperature or warm.

Preparation

The placenta and seeds of larger, shorter, cylindrical immature squashes are pulled off, and the further proceeding is similar as for punjene paprike or sarma.{{cite web|url=http://www.lakakuharica.com/2010/08/tikvice-punjene-mesom-i-bulgurom-u.html|title=Tikvice punjene mesom i bulgurom u crvenom umaku|access-date=26 July 2016}} Often, punjene tikvice (stuffed squashes) and punjene paprike (stuffed peppers) are made together, as a mixed dish.{{cite web|url=http://www.coolinarika.com/recept/punjene-paprike-ili-tikvice/|title=Punjene paprike ili tikvice|access-date=26 July 2016|date=12 June 2008}}in Croatian

Name

File:Kousa Mahshi.jpg|Kousa mahshi, stuffed zucchini

Variants

File:Acorn squash stuffed with pilaf and topped with cheese.jpg stuffed with pilaf and topped with cheese]]

= Canada =

In Canada, stuffed squash is often prepared with tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce as well as with melted cheese on top.{{Cite web |title=Courgettes farcies |url=https://bonpourtoi.ca/recettes/courgettes-farcies/ |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Bon pour toi |language=fr-FR}}

=Egypt=

Mahshi kosa ({{langx|arz| محشي كوسا}}) is a traditional stuffed squash dish eaten in Egypt, it is a type of dolma consisting of squash that is cored and stuffed with a seasoned filling of rice and herbs.{{cite web |title=Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini) |url=https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/8061733/kousa-mahshi-stuffed-zucchini/ |website=EatingWell |access-date=March 16, 2025}} The stuffing typically includes short-grain rice mixed with parsley, dill, and cilantro, flavored with cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper.{{cite web |title=Rice Stuffed Veggies Aka Mahshi |url=https://amiraspantry.com/rice-stuffed-veggies-aka-mahshi/ |website=Amira's Pantry |date=16 March 2013 |access-date=March 16, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Mahshi Koosa (Stuffed Zucchini) |url=https://www.ofrecipes.com/mahshi-koosa-stuffed-zucchini |website=OfRecipes |access-date=March 16, 2025}} The squash are then gently simmered in a spiced tomato sauce, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid while the zucchini becomes tender.

=Levant=

In the Levant, this dish is flavoured with mint and garlic. In Cyprus, the flowers of the marrow are also stuffed.[http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/culture/cuisine/veg/dolma-cicek.html Stuffed Marrow Flowers]

The cultivar is called 'Cousa' in Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997)Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997). Cucurbits. p. 77: "Some summer squash cultivars, e.g. the vegetable marrows (Cucurbita pepo) are consumed when almost mature. In the Middle East, nearly mature fruits of 'Cousa' are stuffed with meat and other ingredients, then baked".