Batatas Mashi Recipes

EGYPTIAN STUFFED VEGETABLES (MASHI)

Steps:

• Top and core insides of veggies.
• Wash rice and drain. Chop herbs very small; wash in a sieve and allow to drain.
• Chop tomato.
• Mix rice, herbs and tomato.
• Add spices to rice mixture.
• Fill veggies with the rice mixture 3/4 full (allow space for rice to expand).
• Heat chicken broth cube, ghee and mastikah until mastikah melts.
• Layer veggies in a flat pot or baking tin.
• Add chicken broth mixture to veggies and allow to come to the boil on the stove top.
• Bake covered at 180°C until veggies are tender. (we like our veggies very soft, I bake it for 1 hr 15 mins).

BATATAS MASHI

Steps:

• In a pan over medium heat cook the onions in butter until almost soft and then add the ground lamb or beef. Cook until it is no longer pink, drain any remaining fat.
• Add the the baharat, tomato paste, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and pine nuts. Mix well and cook until the pine nuts turn golden.
• Wash and peel the potatoes. Carefully core out the middle leaving a smaller whole at the top but taking out most of the middle so there is just enough potato to hold it all together. Set aside.
• Carefully fill the potatoes with the meat mixture. Stuff until the top but not extremely tightly. In a pan on medium heat add the tomato sauce and chicken stock. Carefully place the potatoes into the pan and cover. Raise heat to come to a full boil and then reduce to medium-low. Cook for 1 hour or more until tender when pricked with a fork, carefully switching sides half way through.
• You may serve this over white Basmati rice, with a fresh salad and Balkan (thick) yogurt on the side if you don't add extra sauce.
• Enjoy!

IRAQI STUFFED ZUCCHINI (COUSA MASHI)

Steps:

• Wash and hollow out baby zucchini's cutting tops off where the stems grow. Put all together in a large pot. Discard innards.
• Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds and membrane. Add to pot including tops. Discard innards.
• Mix ground beef (CW rinses and drains), white Basmati rice, chopped onion, chopped flat leaf parsley, sea salt, to taste & baharat.
• Stuff each vegetable until just about full pressing lightly to make sure there are no air pockets. If you press to hard the result will be too dry.
• Cork each vegetable with stem end cutting to fit if too large. Return each.
• vegetable to the pot in as even a layer as possible.
• Keep remaining filling to side as it will be used in the sauce.
• Add tomato paste to some water and mix (whisk works best) until no lumps remain. Add to pot along with more water until just over top of the vegetables, Add some extra bahrat spice mix to taste, sea salt, and bring to the boil.
• Cover and cook until partially done adding remaining filling (it shouldn't be a lot) to the surrounding liquid so that once cooked it will form a sauce not a dry rice dish. So if needed add more water/sea salt. Boil/simmer until done.
• Remove vegetables and arrange on a large platter, spoon sauce around.
• Enjoy!

ROOZ MA LAHEM (RICE WITH MEAT)

Steps:

• Set cooked rice aside.
• In a pot combine onions,chopped garlic,seasonings and ground meat and brown, try to keep the meat from forming large clumps, you want it taco meat in consistency, so keep stirring often.
• Once its almost brown add drained can of chick peas and let meat brown.
• When meat is browned drain any remaining fat from pan and add rice and stir until well blended.
• Enjoy-- (variation to it can be to substitute chick peas for mixed can of mixed veggies).

ASH-ROASTED BATATAS WITH LIME-CUMIN BUTTER

Steps:

• Tear off 4 (2-foot-long) sheets of heavy-duty foil and stack. Arrange batatas in 1 layer on top in center. Working with top sheet of foil, fold each side of foil over batatas to enclose, then turn package a quarter turn and fold over each side of second sheet of foil to enclose. Repeat folding with remaining 2 sheets of foil, turning package a quarter turn before each layer.
• Open vents on bottom of grill and remove top grill rack, leaving bottom rack in place. Light charcoal in chimney starter, then pour out onto bottom rack, using tongs to clear a space in center of rack just large enough for foil package. Put package in cleared space and arrange lit coals around package. (Do not put coals underneath or on top of package.)
• Roast batatas, turning package over every 10 minutes, checking and adding charcoal to keep a steady heat around package, until a sharp paring knife inserted halfway into a batata passes through easily but with slight resistance, 45 to 50 minutes.
• While batatas are roasting, stir together butter, lime juice, parsley, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl with a fork until combined well. 3Unwrap batatas carefully. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Season batatas with salt and pepper and serve with lime-cumin butter.
• Batatas can be roasted (instead of grilled), wrapped in 1 layer of foil, in middle of a preheated 400°F oven 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.