Kousa Mtabbaq
June 5th, 2009
Kousa Mtabbaq is a dish form Hama, Syria. It is full of flavors, the main ingredient is vegetable marrow (marrow squash) fried in vegetable ghee, then cooked with meat, garlic, dried mint, pomegranate molasses, and tahini, then served with rice.
Let’s make Kousa Mtabbaq:
Before the recipe, look at the picture to see the type of marrow (squash) is used for this dish.
Source of the picture: gourmetsleuth
1. Wash vegetable marrow (marrow squash), then cut into circles, fry in vegetable ghee.
2. Drain on paper towel, try to drain several times to get rid of excess ghee.
3, 4. In a pot, melt 2 tbsp ghee and bring to high heat, add ground meat, and keep until cooked, then add crushed garlic, dried mint, and stir for 3 –4 minutes.
5. To same pot, add fried vegetable marrow.
6. To same pot, add 7 1/2 cup water, then add pomegranate molasses, salt, then let it boil for 30 minutes on medium heat.
7. Measure Tahini.
8. After 30 minutes (30 minutes of step 6), take from the water about 1 1/4 cup, and add this water to tahini.
9, 10. You can see, the water is added to tahini, then stir.
11. Add tahini mixture to the pot.
12. This is the final mixture, let it boil for about 20 minutes.
13. Measure rice.
14. Rinse rice with cold water in several changes.
15. Boil water, and soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes.
16. Drain rice, then rinse it with cold water in several changes.
17. Melt 2 tbsp ghee and bring to high heat then turn off heat, and add 4 1/2 cup water, and add salt, then turn on heat and let it boil.
18. Once the water is vigorously boiling add rice.
19. Check if the water is good for the rice by this method which is called “Al-Samda” (Read more about Al-Samda in the post Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan), and keep the rice for 5 minutes over high heat so it will boil vigorously, then lower heat and cover pot and keep for 15 – 20 minutes till rice is cooked.then cover pot and keep for 15 – 20 minutes till rice is cooked, when it is completely cooked, turn off heat, stir and serve.
20. Serve kousa Mtabbaq hot with rice, and with raw onions.
Kousa Mtabbaq
From: Family Recipe / Servings: 5 – 7 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images
| 2 kg vegetable marrows (marrow squash)
250 g vegetable ghee, for frying 2 tbsp ghee, for meat 250 g fat free ground lamb meat 14 garlic cloves, crushed 3 tsp dried mint 7 1/2 cups water (you can see in directions where to use) 3 – 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1/2 cup tahini Salt Rice 3 cups Egyptian short grain rice Boiling water, for soaking rice 2 tbsp ghee, for rice 4 1/2 cups water (you can see in directions where to use) Salt To Serve Raw onions
|
Cut vegetable marrows (marrow squash) into circles, fry in vegetable ghee.
Drain on paper towel, try to drain several times to get rid of excess ghee. In a pot, melt 2 tbsp ghee and bring to high heat, add ground meat, and keep until cooked, then dd crushed garlic, dried mint, and stir for 3 –4 minutes. To same pot, add fried vegetable marrows. To same pot, add 7 1/2 cup water, then add pomegranate molasses, salt, then let it boil for 30 minutes on medium heat. Measure Tahini. After 30 minutes (30 minutes of step 6), take from the pot about 1 1/4 cups water, and add to tahini. You can see, the water is added to tahini, then stir. Add tahini mixture to the pot. This is the final mixture, let it boil for about 20 minutes. Rice Measure rice. Rinse rice with cold water in several changes. Boil water, and soak rice in boiled water for 10 minutes. Drain rice, then rinse it with cold water in several changes. Melt 2 tbsp ghee and bring to high heat then turn off heat, and add 4 1/2 cup water, and add salt, then turn on heat and let it boil. Once the water is vigorously boiling add rice. Check if the water is good for the rice by this method which is called “Al-Samda” (Read more about Al-Samda in the post Maqloubat Al-Bathenjan), and keep the rice for 5 minutes over high heat so it will boil vigorously, then lower heat and cover pot and keep for 15 – 20 minutes till rice is cooked, when it is completely cooked, turn off heat, stir and serve. Serve kousa Mtabbaq hot with rice, and with raw onion. |
Your blog is so interesting to me since I have no knowledge of your cuisine. Thank you for sharing.
Another very interesting dish you’ve shared with us yet again. I love cooking with tahini. The combination of ingredients here sounds delicious.
What an interesting dish! Totally new to me, but I’d love to try it some time.
This is all new to me (a pasta eater by trade) and I love the step-by-step instructions and the ownderful use of fresh produce.
Thanks everyone for your lovely comments!
Gosh, I love veg stews! and anything with pomegranate molasses! this dish looks so perfect and satisfying :)
Dimah – all I need to get is the vegetable, I have the rest of the ingredients to make this mouth watering dish!
That sounds like such a delicious combination of flavors!
I love this dish! It’s sounds like such an interesting combination of flavors. The pomegranate molasses sounds divine.
Marta: Thank you! I believe that pomegranate molasses is one of the treasures of the middle east!
Maya: Thank you! let me know if you try it!
lisa: Thank you!
lisa (dandysugar): Thanks for stopping by!
That dish looks absolutely delicious! A wonderful speciality!
Cheers,
Rosa
Rosa: Thanks for coming by!
Dear Dimah,
I tried this dish yesterday, it was delicious. I made a few small edits: I tossed the kousa slices in olive oil, layered them on baking sheet and broiled them in the oven instead of deep frying, used ground beef, and skipped the mint as I didn’t have any. I also browned the garlic in a little olive oil before adding to the meat.
Do I remember correctly that my mother used to add walnuts in it?
Dear Saleh,
I’m really happy to hear from you and to know that the dish came out well for you. Try it next time with the dried mint.
No, we don’t add walnuts in it.
Sorry for delayed reply, and thank you very much for your feedback here, you made my day