Egyptian Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables)

  • Total time - 2 hours
  • Preparation - 45 minutes
  • Cooking time - 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Servings: 6
  • Country: Egypt
A bowl of stuffed peppers, zucchinis, and eggplants, topped with a thick tomato sauce.

Mahshi is a dish traditionally made in Egypt in large quantities for family gatherings and holidays. It's a lengthy but very rewarding process. This version is vegetarian/vegan, using a flavorful herb and rice stuffing. The rich flavor and aroma come from a blend of spices, herbs, and the tomato sauce that soaks into the vegetables during the slow cooking process.

Ingredients

For the stuffing

  • 2 cups short-grain rice
  • 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 0.5 cups vegetable oil
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon

For the vegetables

  • 4 zucchini
  • 4 bell peppers
  • 2 small eggplants

For the broth

  • 4 cups hot water or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • salt

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables

Hollow out the zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplants. Be careful not to puncture the skin. For the peppers, cut off the top and remove the seeds. For the zucchini and eggplants, use a special corer or a small spoon to hollow them out. Save the inside pulp for other recipes.

Step 2: Prepare the stuffing

Rinse and drain the rice. In a large bowl, mix the rice, chopped herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro), finely chopped onion, tomato paste, oil, and all the spices. Mix well with your hands to combine all the flavors.

Step 3: Stuff and arrange

Fill each vegetable with the rice mixture, but only about 3/4 of the way to allow the rice to expand during cooking. Arrange the stuffed vegetables snugly in a large pot. Place them standing up or lying down so the stuffing doesn't fall out.

Step 4: Cook

In a separate bowl, mix the hot water (or broth) with the tomato paste and salt. Pour the broth over the vegetables until they are almost fully submerged. Place a heavy plate on top to keep them from floating.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Serve hot.