ATTN: Syrian Cooks. Need help with my makshi

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cbg ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 3:47 pm

Every time I make makshi the meat in the filling comes out too dense and hard.
It probably can be used as a weapon.
I need a full proof recipe.
I want to try for sukkot.
Please help.
TIA

September June ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 3:47 pm

How much rice do you add?

What type of mechshe?

mdpa

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 3:51 pm

I've made this one twice. Delicious!
http://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/.....bles/

↑ cbg ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 4:21 pm

I make zucchini, onion, and eggplant.
I don't measure the amount of rice I just pour it in until it looks right.
Does it mater what type of rice I use?
I usually use regular Uncle Ben type long grain rice.

bananasplit

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 5:18 pm

I usually use 1/3 cup of rice to 1 lb of meat

↑ September June ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 5:20 pm

Do you add enough liquid (tomato sauce/ourt etc.) to the meat before stuffing?

↑ cbg ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 6:15 pm

You have to add liquid to the meat?
None of the recipes I've seen said to do that.
I mix meat, rice, salt, and baharat
Then I stuff the cored vegetables, and add a sauce with ou, lemon juice, etc, or tomato sauce.
I usually bake my makshi, but the few times I made it on the stove top, it didn't make a difference.
DH says I use too much meat, but I don't think that is the reason it comes out so dense.
I like to use a lot of meat, so that it is an entre not a side dish.

↑ September June ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 6:24 pm

That's the issue, you don't add enough liquid. The food needs some liquid to soften. I cook my mechshe's on the stove with the plate on top. I do not have an exact recipe. I just eyeball and dump. Maybe see if Poopa Dweck has any recipe's posted online?

ra_mom

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 6:37 pm

cbg wrote:

Can you use cooked rice instead of soaked raw? (Can I say this, or will I get tomatoes thrown at me? Smile

)

Here is one recipe by Poopa Dweck.
http://www.joyofkosher.com/rec.....rice/

Also, I saw a video for kurdish stuffed vegetables which might help. The recipe starts 2 minutes and 29 seconds into the video.
http://www.joyofkosher.com/rec.....bles/

turca ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 6:47 pm

Some ppl cook the stuffing , fill up the vegetable with it, put in a covered pan , add some water/ tomato sauce/ the left over from the vegetables and put in the oven to soften the vegetables. It has a completely different taste.

↑ September June ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 7:00 pm

I would never cook the rice or the stuffing first, it won't absorb the taste of the vegetable you're stuffing and IMO won't taste as yummy.

↑ cbg ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 7:12 pm

I have Poopa dwek's cookbook, and do use it
But I have have found that many of the recipes are either missing ingredients or steps.
If any one has a recipe please post
The next time I make makshi
I'm going to try to add some water to my meat mixture and see if that helps.

↑ cbg ↓

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 7:16 pm

Perhaps I am over mixing the meat, or filling it too compactly, probably both.
Can this be the problem?

yamz

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 8:47 pm

cbg wrote:

Perhaps I am over mixing the meat, or filling it too compactly, probably both.
Can this be the problem?

Yes! This is exactly what I was going to suggest! Do not overmix the meat or pack the filling in too tightly. The meat should not be compacted, just gently spoon filling into the vegetables. It also couldn't hurt to add just a little more rice than you usually use.

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way a syrian cook (I wish!), but I have made stuffed cousa squash a few times. Yum.

Lady Godiva

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 8:55 pm

cbg wrote:

Perhaps I am over mixing the meat, or filling it too compactly, probably both.
Can this be the problem?

You're probably filling it too compactly. You can also try adding a little water to the meat and rice mixture, too.

ray family

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 11:11 pm

I always add a bit of liquid to the filling. also, try not to push it in too compactly.

piegirl

Tue, Sep 10 2013, 11:47 pm

It's probably because your using too little rice. When meat cooks it becomes compact and hard- the rice usually breaks up the meat so that it's crumbly and not hard. If you really want to use mostly meat then you can try adding some sauce to the filling

↑ turca

Wed, Sep 11 2013, 6:43 am

September June wrote:

I would never cook the rice or the stuffing first, it won't absorb the taste of the vegetable you're stuffing and IMO won't taste as yummy.

there a recipe book by someone mizrahi that says that u should cook with the stuffing the " left overs" from the vegetables u opened. I've never tried.

member123

Wed, Sep 11 2013, 7:53 am

I make squash and onion mekshy all the time and the meat is never dense - always soft and YUMMY. Here is what I do:

Step One - Cook abt 1/3 cup of rice a little bit; you do not have to bring the water to boil first. Just put water and rice into a small pot. Use a lot less water than you would normally. This is just to soften the rice. The rice should not be edible at this point.

Step Two - Mix the rice with 1 pd of meat. I put in All Spice and Cinnamin as well.

Step Three - Stuff the veggie with the mixture. I find with squash the tighter you stuff it the better. If you have extra meat, traditions says to make bullet shaped meat balls to cook together with the mekshy.

Step Four - For the squash ONLY - crush almost of full head of garlic into abt a cup of lemon juice. Mix and pour over the mechshy. Cover very well. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour - 45 minutes. If you made some of the extra meatballs put them in the fridge - do not include them in this step.

Step Five - For squah and onion - add the extra meatballs and pour the sauce (I forgot the exact recipe but I can get it for later if you need, basically prune butter, apricot jam, duck sauce) over the stuffed veggies. Cover very well and bake for a long long time - about 2 hours.

A tip I have heard is to fill the pan tightly with the veggies - really "stuff" them in there! Also, cover it really well so the steam is retained and helps to soften things up. I have heard that you can cook this on top of the stove, but I have never done it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.....

↑ cbg

Wed, Sep 11 2013, 2:52 pm

Thanks everyone.
I am going to try a small batch with all the suggestions.
Add water to meat mixture
Not over mix
Stuff loosely

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