Oct 23, 2021

Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed zucchini prepared in the Serbian traditional way. Stuffed with minced meat and rice baked in the oven. It is prepared similarly to stuffed peppers. This is a recipe I always make, and they are always perfect and delicious! It is a very simple preparation. An ideal meal for Sunday lunch. Everyone will be delighted with this fragrant and healthy dish. Be sure to make them! Follow the recipe.

Ingredients: medium, total time : 110 min. 6 serving

Filling:

Sauce Spray:

To close the zucchini:

For Sprinkle:

Preparation:

Preparation of Zucchini:

Take the courgettes, wash them and peel the skin. Clean them from the stems, cut them in half. Clean from the seeds with the help of a small spoon and make an indentation in the zucchini, so that the base remains at the bottom, and you will close the top with tomatoes later, put them aside.
When you make the stuffed zucchini, make sure that the pan is wider and deeper, which can be baked in the oven, I used enamel.
Line up the halved zucchini and check the dimensions beforehand.

Filling:

Pour the oil into a deep and large pan, wait for it to heat up on moderately low heat, add the finely chopped onion, simmer for about 5 minutes until it becomes transparent.
Then add minced meat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stew covered for about 5–10 minutes, add washed rice, ground red pepper, minced 1 clove of garlic, fresh chopped weed dill and stir.
Cook covered for about 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the mixture is ready, remove it from the heat, add 1 egg, stir the mixture fast to combine well and put it aside.

Processing Zucchini:

Fill the hollowed zucchini with the help of a small spoon, leave a small part near the top to cover with tomato leaves (with the skin).
Fill the courgettes by gently pushing a little of the filling into the bottom with the help of a spoon.
Arrange in the same pot as the minced meat filling, pushing the filling towards you with a spoon and making room for the rest of the stuffed zucchini.
If you don't have room for a zucchini, it's not a problem, put it on top, it will certainly soften the zucchini during cooking, and it will fall to the bottom by itself.
Cover the zucchini with tomato leaves. Place the rest of the tomatoes, the fleshy part, between the zucchini.
Place the potatoes cut into rings between the rows of zucchini.
Pour about 500 ml of water, you will leave a place for a sprinkling of sauce.
Cook on the stove over low heat for about 45 minutes.

Spray:

Make the sauce separately in a saucepan, add a little oil, wait for it to heat up, add 1 1/2 tablespoon of flour and 3 finely chopped garlic, stir quickly.
The flour must get a brownish color! Then add red ground pepper, 200 ml pour tomato juice, add about 200 ml of water, and weed dill, stir for about 10 minutes until thickened.
Pour the thick sauce over the zucchini, stir and add a little water as needed. (be careful not to spill too much on the zucchini!).
Remove the zucchini from the heat, sprinkle with weed dill, it gives a phenomenal scent to this dish. Control taste if required, add salt and pepper.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then transfer to a preheated oven.
Bake at 180 °C for about 35 -40 minutes. It depends on the oven.
Zucchini are ready when they soften and sauce take on a nice color.
With gloves, carefully remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
Serve warm in deep plates immediately! You can serve with sour cream.

Buon appetito!

NOTE:

You can keep this ready dish in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also pack it in the freezer covered and store it for up to 3 months.
You are not obliged to use an egg for the filling like I did, you can make the filling without it.
In this dish, I have used weed dill, but you can use parsley. I also added potatoes for better taste, but you don't have to!