Kousa Mihshi merely means "stuffed zucchini." So the full recipe would have a tag describing what the stuffing is. For instance, Kousa Mihshi Bi Laban is Stuffed Zucchini with Yoghurt. Kousa Mihshi Bi Bandoura is Stuffed Zucchini with Tomato Sauce. Etc.
"The Lebanese version would, of course imclude cinnamon. "
Did you mean to say "Morracan" rather than "Lebanese." My Lebanese recipes do not contain cinnamon.
Here's one version:
Kousa Mihshi Bi Laban
2 lbs evenly sized zucchini
Cold salted water
Meat Stuffing
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbls clarified butter or cooking oil
1 tbls pine nuts (optional)
8 oz ground lamb or beef
1/4 cup short grain rice
1 tbls chopped parsleyh
1/2 tsp ground allspice
Salt
Black pepper
To finish:
1 1/4 cups cold water
A quantity of Laban Mutboukh (cooked yogurt)
2 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried mint.
Wash the zukes well and cut off stem end. Using an apple correr, hollow out zucchinik, leaving rounded end intact. Try not to puncture sin. Soak in salt water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Gently fry onion in clarified butter or oil until transparent. Add min nutes to pan after ten minutes and cook with onions another five minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Add pan contents to ground mneat along with the rice, parsley, spiece, about a teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Combine ingredients thoroughly.
Fill zaucchini with stuffing. Do not worry about the rice expanding, because the meat shrinks, so you don't have to allow room for expansion.
Arrange zucchini in layers in a heavey-based pan, sprinkling layers lightly with salt. Add water. Invert a plate on top of the zucchini and ring to a slow simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the Laban Mutcoukh. When it begins to boil add garlic, boil 2 minutes, and remove from heat.
When zucchinis are cooked remove plant and pour Laban Mutboukh over them and leave over medium heat for 10 minutes to boil gently. Cook uncovered until sauce is thick.
Crush the dried mint to a coarse powder and sprinkle on top. Cover pan and leave off the heat for 10 minutes before serving.
Laban Mutboukh (cooked yogurt)
2 cups yogurt
1 egg white
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
Place yogurt in a heavy-based pan.
Beat egg white with a fork until frothy and blend into yogurt with the cornstarch and salt. Stir in the same direction until thoroughly combined.
Place pan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Heat until it begins to boil, stirring continuously in the same direction.
Lower heat and leave to simmer gently, uncovered, for 3-5 mintues until thick. Use as required in recipes.