Jordanian Sheikh Al Mahshi
Whole baby zucchini filled with cooked lamb and pine nuts, simmered in measured garlic yogurt sauce.
Preparation: 30 min · Cooking: 32 min · Total: 1 hr 2 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g Pasteurized plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 cloves Garlic
- WHOLE baby zucchini, about 450 g total as size guide — 6
- 150 g RAW ground lamb
- 50 g Trimmed onion
- 0.25 tsp Ground allspice
- 1 tbsp Commercial RTE toasted pine nuts
- 1 tsp Olive oil for lamb sauté ONLY
- 1 tsp SEPARATE olive oil for garlic
- 240 ml Separate vegetable frying oil, operating allowance
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 100 ml Yogurt-sauce water
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 250 g Optional FRESHLY COOKED HOT vermicelli rice, separately specified prepared accompaniment; check wheat/dairy labels (optional)
Instructions
Prepare whole zucchini and components
Wash/core 6 WHOLE baby zucchini (about 450 g size guide), leaving about 5 mm intact walls without piercing. Wash/chop 50 g onion and peel 2 garlic cloves before raw-lamb work. Check pasteurized yogurt and optional cooked-rice component labels/allergens. Half uses 3 whole zucchini, fourfold 24; no inherited eggplant/beef/mint.
Wash/core 6 WHOLE baby zucchini (about 450 g size guide), leaving about 5 mm intact walls without piercing. Wash/chop 50 g onion and peel 2 garlic cloves before raw-lamb work. Check pasteurized yogurt and optional cooked-rice component labels/allergens. Half uses 3 whole zucchini, fourfold 24; no inherited eggplant/beef/mint.
Soften onion in its own oil
Heat the 1 tsp lamb-sauté olive oil over medium heat. Sauté all 50 g onion, checking from 3 minutes until soft. Keep the separate 1 tsp garlic oil and 240 ml frying bath separate; these are distinct inputs.
Heat the 1 tsp lamb-sauté olive oil over medium heat. Sauté all 50 g onion, checking from 3 minutes until soft. Keep the separate 1 tsp garlic oil and 240 ml frying bath separate; these are distinct inputs.
Soften onion in its own oil: 180 seconds
Cook lamb filling completely
Add 150 g RAW ground lamb, 0.25 tsp allspice, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking clumps and checking from 8 minutes until selected 74°C, above official ground-lamb minimum 71°C. Off heat stir in all 1 tbsp RTE pine nuts with clean tools; colour/dryness alone is insufficient.
Add 150 g RAW ground lamb, 0.25 tsp allspice, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking clumps and checking from 8 minutes until selected 74°C, above official ground-lamb minimum 71°C. Off heat stir in all 1 tbsp RTE pine nuts with clean tools; colour/dryness alone is insufficient.
Cook lamb filling completely: 480 seconds
Fill evenly without forcing
Fill promptly with utensils once safe to handle, dividing ACTUAL cooked filling evenly without force-packing. Leave about 5 mm at openings for containment, not a 2 cm rice-expansion gap: there is NO rice in this filling. Keep retained cooked excess safe separately. If assembly is delayed, chill shallow filling promptly and hold at 4°C or colder, never leave it lukewarm on the counter.
Fill promptly with utensils once safe to handle, dividing ACTUAL cooked filling evenly without force-packing. Leave about 5 mm at openings for containment, not a 2 cm rice-expansion gap: there is NO rice in this filling. Keep retained cooked excess safe separately. If assembly is delayed, chill shallow filling promptly and hold at 4°C or colder, never leave it lukewarm on the counter.
Fry small batches safely
Heat separate 240 ml operating frying oil to 175°C in suitable deep cookware with safe fill/headroom. Fry stuffed zucchini, turning and checking from 5 minutes until lightly blistered; continue as needed. Record cookware-driven oil adjustment, drain with clean tools and keep water away from the hot bath; this is not all eaten oil.
Heat separate 240 ml operating frying oil to 175°C in suitable deep cookware with safe fill/headroom. Fry stuffed zucchini, turning and checking from 5 minutes until lightly blistered; continue as needed. Record cookware-driven oil adjustment, drain with clean tools and keep water away from the hot bath; this is not all eaten oil.
Fry small batches safely: 300 seconds
Simmer in measured stabilized yogurt
Cold-whisk 400 g yogurt, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 100 ml sauce water and salt. Heat over medium heat with stirring to controlled boil per compatible product directions. Add drained zucchini carefully and simmer low uncovered, checking from 15 minutes until zucchini fork-tender AND representative filling centres reach 74°C. No egg stabilizer is included.
Cold-whisk 400 g yogurt, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 100 ml sauce water and salt. Heat over medium heat with stirring to controlled boil per compatible product directions. Add drained zucchini carefully and simmer low uncovered, checking from 15 minutes until zucchini fork-tender AND representative filling centres reach 74°C. No egg stabilizer is included.
Simmer in measured stabilized yogurt: 900 seconds
Finish with separate garlic oil
Mince 2 garlic cloves and warm in the SEPARATE 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat, checking from 30 seconds and usually within 60 seconds until fragrant/pale gold. Transfer carefully close to sauce, not from height; add no extra oil. Serve 2 shares with optional listed 250 g freshly cooked hot vermicelli rice if chosen, kept at 60°C or above and separately specified, not hidden rice in filling.
Mince 2 garlic cloves and warm in the SEPARATE 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat, checking from 30 seconds and usually within 60 seconds until fragrant/pale gold. Transfer carefully close to sauce, not from height; add no extra oil. Serve 2 shares with optional listed 250 g freshly cooked hot vermicelli rice if chosen, kept at 60°C or above and separately specified, not hidden rice in filling.
Finish with separate garlic oil: 30 seconds
Apply conditional rice storage correctly
Refrigerate shallow zucchini/yogurt portions promptly at 4°C or colder and use within 2 days WITHOUT rice. If stored WITH optional cooked rice, chill quickly, ideally into fridge within 1 hour, use within 24 hours and reheat once to 74°C. Earlier component deadlines apply; this is not a blanket one-day limit for the rice-free dish.
Refrigerate shallow zucchini/yogurt portions promptly at 4°C or colder and use within 2 days WITHOUT rice. If stored WITH optional cooked rice, chill quickly, ideally into fridge within 1 hour, use within 24 hours and reheat once to 74°C. Earlier component deadlines apply; this is not a blanket one-day limit for the rice-free dish.
Tips
- Ingredient amounts scale for 1–8 catalogue servings; step quantities describe the base of 2 shares. Halve every numeric input for 1, multiply by four for 8, including process waters, garnish and operating allowances. Time, temperature, thickness and pan depth do not multiply: use matching-depth pans/small batches. Piece yields are separate from shares. Cup = 240 ml, tbsp = 15 ml, tsp = 5 ml. Record bounded optional water/oil adjustments; reconcile if inadequate.
Common mistakes
- Keep perishables at 4°C or colder and raw meat/fish/flour tools separate from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C; do not wait for complete counter cooling. These are refrigeration deadlines, not a guaranteed time for any deep pot to reach 4°C.
Substitutions
- Keep specified raw/cooked/prepared states and measured components. Check actual product labels/allergens and stricter directions; reconcile incompatible products instead of silently replacing them.
Storage
Keep covered at 4°C or colder and use within 2 days or an earlier component-label deadline. This selected household limit is not validated shelf life. If stored with the optional cooked rice accompaniment, chill promptly, ideally refrigerating within 1 hour, use within 24 hours and reheat once to 74°C; the earlier rice clock is not reset. Keep perishables at 4°C or colder and raw meat/fish/flour tools separate from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate shallow portions promptly within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C; do not wait for complete counter cooling. These are refrigeration deadlines, not a guaranteed time for any deep pot to reach 4°C.
Reheating
Reheat cooked leftovers only once to 74°C throughout. Do not repeatedly warm/chill dips or cream-filled pastries, or try to repair earlier unsafe holding by reheating.
About this recipe
Whole baby zucchini filled with cooked lamb and pine nuts, simmered in measured garlic yogurt sauce.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.