Warm the belly with Egyptian stuffed vegetables
When our bellies start craving comfort food, our imaginations often run straight to giant bowls of hearty pasta and steaming pot pies. As winter creeps closer day by day, set the intention this year to take a healthy twist on traditional cold-weather nosh. Start with this easy recipe for a colourful medley of vegetables, stuffed with Middle-Eastern spices and short-grain rice. Take your pick of seasonal vegies and nourish both body and soul.
INGREDIENTS
200g short-grain rice
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
200ml olive oil
500g courgettes
500g small white aubergines
1–1.5 litres vegetable stock
salt
TO MAKE
Wash the rice under cold running water, then soak in fresh water for half an hour.
For the stuffing, mix together the garlic, drained rice, onion, tomato, mint, pepper, chilli, dill, coriander, parsley, cumin, allspice, salt and oil. Blend them very well and set aside.
Now, prepare the courgettes and aubergines. You’ll need a special kitchen corer that helps you scoop out the insides of long, slender vegetables or a long, sharp knife. You need to gently dig into the flesh, twisting and tugging out the insides. It’s important that once you’ve hollowed out one of the aubergines, you soak it in a large bowl of water and salt until you’ve completed all the aubergines to prevent them discolouring and to draw out their bitterness.
Fill up the hollowed out vegetables with the stuffing mix, one by one. It’s easiest to use your fingers for this part. Leave about 3cm of empty space at the end of each vegetable to give the rice room to expand and to prevent leakage as they cook. Tightly arrange in layers in a pot.
Bring the stock up to the boil and pour over the vegetables until it just covers the top layer. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes over low heat. Serve hot or cold.
Images and recipe from Cairo Kitchen by Suzanne Zeidy. Published by Hardie Grant.
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