ATTN: Syrian Cooks. Need help with my makshi

MaBelleVie

Wed, Sep 11 2013, 9:07 pm

IME the biggest difference comes from the rice to meat ratio. Using more rice will soften it up significantly (in addition to using enough liquid, not over mixing and not over stuffing).

chatouli

Thu, Sep 12 2013, 12:05 am

I made stuffed zucchini and yellow squash tonight. This thread inspired me Smile

I used the recipe from Aromas of Aleppo but used half ground chicken and half ground beef (health reasons). I also used baharat (taste reasons!). No ou available locally so I used the tomato sauce recipe but without the mint. Anyway, it was delicious and the meat was not too hard. So I suspect the Dweck recipe's proportions are good - I believe 1/3 c soaked rice to 1 lb chopped meat.

But will it freeze well?

Mrs Bissli ↓

Mon, Sep 16 2013, 8:29 pm

Let me join the club--I found this thread literally just after I finished making my mahasha.

Aside from rice/meat ratio and not overhandling, I would definitely pre-soak rice for 20min or so. It still absorb juice from meat/veggies but allow rice/meat mix to cook more evenly and no hard cores.

I tend to cook the scooped out bit separately, sometimes add scrambled eggs.
I also add definitely some liquid to cover halfways. I normally bake covered in the oven (first with wax paper then with foil, so that tomatoe-y bit doesn't react vs foil).

BTW, which meat do you use? I normally use 100% lamb mince but I didn't have enough so had to stretch. Which one would you use--turkey mince or (lean) beef mince?

Chatouli, I won't freeze mahasha. Esp the outer vegetable gets very soggy and slightly spongey, texture changes drastically.

↑ September June

Mon, Sep 16 2013, 8:33 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

Someone I know cooks it and then freezes it. She reheats it in the oven covered and says it tastes great!

I never tried it though....

mha3484 ↓

Tue, Nov 24 2015, 12:10 pm

Can I make this in a crockpot. I tried this recipe http://smittenkitchen.com/blog...../once the eggplants were not cooked enough. The filling was delish but the veggie too hard. I have some days off this week and would love to try again.

↑ Mrs Bissli

Wed, Nov 25 2015, 8:00 pm

I'm reluctant to do on a crockpot--vegetable shells may overcook and fall apart into one big mush. I usually serve mahasha as one of main courses (I normally do 2 types of mains, one redmeat and one chicken). You can serve with rice, or bulgher, and green salad. As I said, I cook core of courgettes separately and serve as a side (which also works as a sauce for rice so it doesn't taste dry).