Jump to Recipe
Today I’m sharing Sheikh al Mehshi, or Meat-Stuffed Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce.
Sheikh el Mehshi translates to the king of mehshi (stuffed vegetables), and for good reason. Vegetables are filled with seasoned ground meat, lightly caramelized onions, and pine nuts. It’s umami-rich, so flavorful, and super delicious.
Sheikh el Mehshi is prepared all across the Levant and sometimes refers to stuffed eggplant or baby zucchini (kousa) in tomato sauce. In Homs, we (at least my family) call stuffed vegetable dishes in tomato sauce mnazeleh, and sheikh el mehshi refers to stuffed kousa in garlicky and minty yogurt sauce.
Names aside, this is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat stuffed kousa. It looks labor intensive, and it might feel that way the first time you cook it. I promise that once you figure out the components, this meal will come together in no time.
Do you want to know the secret to creating this show-stopping meal during the week? Core the kousa with a vegetable corer, make the filling, and fry the vegetables over the weekend. They will keep in the fridge for a few days. Leftover stuffing can be repurposed into sambousek, mnazelet betinjan, or a topping for hummus. It’s the hack to Arabic cooking that I’m sure every grandmother or mother figured out long before me.
On the day of serving, make a quick “broth” by boiling the kousa in a water bath of mint and garlic for a few minutes. 1.5 large containers of yogurt are whisked with corn starch and vegetable oil until boiling, which depending on your stove, takes about 5 minutes. The yogurt sauce is then thinned a bit with the broth and simmered for a couple of minutes before adding the kousa back in to heat through. All of that + a pot of rice means you should have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Nervous to make yogurt sauce? Have you tried it before, only to break apart into a separated mess? Here are my 8 tips to successfully cook yogurt sauce:
In the U.S., if you’re using the Arabic brand Dana, it already has some corn starch, so you will use a bit less than elsewhere.
If outside of the U.S., and you only have supermarket-brand plain yogurt, mix in a couple of tablespoons of labneh for texture and flavor.
If you have access to thickened Arabic sheep’s milk yogurt, mix that with supermarket yogurt
Use a stainless steel pot, and make sure there’s only the yogurt, swirled corn starch, and vegetable oil in the pot by wiping it down before using.
Use a wire whisk and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Don’t even bother with a spoon. This allows the steam to escape quickly instead of getting trapped under the surface, which causes the fat solids to separate from the liquid of the yogurt.
Strain the boiled kousa and reserve the liquid to add to the yogurt mixture slowly.
If the fat solids do separate (it happens to the best of us!) run a hand blender through the sauce. It won’t be perfect, but it will definitely help.
Never cover hot yogurt sauce. Allow it to cool completely. The steam will will cause it to separate.
I love to eat Sheikh el Mehshi with a side of Perfect Rice or Vermicelli Rice.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments to let everyone know how it works out. I also love to see your creations! Go ahead and tag @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks on Instagram.
Sheikh el Mehshi (Meat-Stuffed Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 kg/4 lbs baby zucchini (kousa)
- 1 recipe of Hashweh
- 1 L/1 qt vegetable or other neutral oil with a high smoke point
- 1 head garlic, smashed or minced finely
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 kg/54 oz plain full-fat yogurt*
- 2 tbsp labneh (strained yogurt)*
- 4 tbsp corn starch*
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Core the kousa (zucchini) with a vegetable corer, taking out the insides as much as possible, being careful not to puncture a hole through the sides. If you do, no big deal, carry on. Reserve the cores for another purpose, like this Syrian Zucchini and Tomato Bulgur Pilaf.
- Fill the kousa with as much Hashweh (the meat, onion, and pine nut mixture) as you can by scooping it in with a spoon and pushing it down with your thumb.
- Add oil to a stockpot a couple of inches high and heat to 350° F/180° C. Fry the stuffed kousa in batches, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Zucchini can be reserved in the fridge or freezer at this point if dividing the cooking tasks amongst multiple days.
- On the day of serving, bring about 1 L/1 qt of water to a boil with the garlic, mint, and salt. Add the fried kousa and simmer until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. You can test if it's done if your fingernail easily pierces the flesh. Strain, reserving the liquid.
- Wipe down a stainless steel stockpot to make sure there are no other cooking remnants. Combine 2 tbsp of water with the corn starch in a small bowl. Add the yogurt, labneh (if using), and corn starch/water mixture to the pot over high heat. Using a wire whisk, mix constantly and let it boil for about a minute to activate the corn starch.
- Add the kousa cooking liquid to the yogurt mixture 1 ladle at a time until it reaches desired consistency, almost like a thick soup. It will thicken up a bit with additional cooking.
- Bring it back up to a boil and add the kousa. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately with Perfect Rice or Vermicelli Rice.
- If storing leftovers, cool completely before covering and refrigerating. To reheat, bring to a gentle simmer over the stove, thinning the sauce with water if needed.
Notes:
*I like to use a combination of plain supermarket yogurt and Arabic sheep's milk yogurt
*If you don't have access to labneh, make your own by lining a colander with a couple of layers of paper towel. Combine yogurt with 1-2 tsp salt and strain in the colander for 24 hours, either in the fridge or on the counter.
*If using the Arabic yogurt brand Dana in the United States, use 3 tbsp corn starch, and don't bother with the labneh.