Preparation:
Scrub marrows well. Hollow from one end with apple corer or small spoon. Mix rice, meat, seasonings and half of the chopped tomato. Stuff squash three-quarters full. Lay several meat bones on bottom of pressure cooker and cover with the remaining chopped tomato. Arrange stuffed marrows in layers over bones. Add tomato juice, water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Cook under pressure 20 minutes. Open cooker and simmer to reduce sauce.
Kousa mahshi may be cooked in an ordinary saucepan. Prepare as above. Cover the saucepan and simmer for an hour, or until squash is tender. Uncover and simmer to thicken sauce.
In Syria this dish is flavored further with mint and garlic. Crush a teaspoon of dried mint with several garlic cloves and two teaspoons of salt. Mix in the juice of half a lemon. When the squash is tender, sprinkle it with this sauce and allow to sirnmer a few minutes more. |