Stuffed Zucchini With Grape Leaves (Kosa Mihshy ma Waraq Enab)

5 zucchinis( if you are working with koosa baladi
the smaller ones you may need a few more.
1/2 cup small Egyptian rice
1/2 cup or so ground beef
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch white pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups water (Enough to slightly cover them)
about 10 Grape leaves
Thread
salt to your liking

How2:
cup the top part of the zucchini.
with a special core tool make small circle cut into the top of the zucchini.
holding with a firm hand insert the core tool into the vegetable turning slightly with some pressure.
You really need to get a feel for this when you are doing this because if you cut to deep you may split the flesh.
So just take your time turning and removing the middle flesh of the vegetable. repeat until the filling is removed but you still have some flesh enough left between the skin.

Prepare the filling:
Mix rice with ground beef,white pepper( prevents sauce from getting dark),some salt. mix together and now your ready to stuff them
Stuffing the Zucchini:
take some of the filling and begin to loosely stuff the zucchini, to insure the filling gets down into it you may tap it lightly against your hand.
Filling until you have the tip of your pinky space on the top. be sure not to over stuff the rice is going to cook and needs to expand. Continue this until all of them have been stuffed.

take remaining filling and roll grape leaves like shown in the images. with this you don't want to over fill them either a thin size grape leave is perfect. once you have rolled as many as you can with the remaining filling.
Make a tight bundle with about 4-5 each and wrap and tie with the tread.

Now for cooking these:

In a pot add water, salt olive oil and tomato paste ,dissolve and bring to a boil. once it begins to boil allow it to continue to cook on med flame for about 5 Min's this allows the tomato paste to really dissolve.
Slowly place the stuffed zucchini into the pot. followed by the grape leave bundles.
Place a flat plate over the top (this will ensure they don't float to the top)
Bring heat back up just to get them to a good boil.
Reduce heat and cook for about 45-50mins on low.
about35mins in check on your grape leaves if they look cooked you may remove them from the pot leaving the zucchini to continue cooking.
Towards the last few Min's if you find that after removing the grape leaves they may need a bit more time place them over the plate and just allow them to steam until the zucchini is done.

Once they are cooked, the flesh Will be very fragile and fall apart easily. slowly remove the stuffed zucchini to a serving dish along side the grape leave bundles.
I like to pour the stock into a separate bowl this ensures the zucchini does break apart when you serve them

ENJOY!!! note: don't worry about the center you may use them in a cake or better yet wait and see I will be posting a recipe for a dish called treedy, we use the centers of the zucchini.