vegan stuffed Kusa/Kosa /zucchini

I made this inspired by the flavors of Egyptian mahshi and Lebanese style stuffed zucchini and the dish malfoof.

4 small kusa/Zucchini cored
Sauce:
2 cups water
1 tablespoon red pepper paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dry mint
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons oil
centers of the cored zucchini

Stuffing:
1/4 cup egyptian rice
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon red pepper paste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 of an onion diced
salt,pepper,and allspice to taste
1/4 med tomato diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon

How2:

Sauce: in a deep pot mix everything but the mint and lemon set that aside for later.
In a small pan saute onions,garlic and tomato once its softened add in cilantro followed by red pepper paste and spices. on a med low heat once its cooked down add juice of 1/2 of a lemon. set aside to cool.

once the vegetable mixture is cooked mix in the rice.

fill the cored zucchini leaving enough space to fit the tip of your pinky finger. tap the bottoms gently to allow the filling to drop down. this ensured even cooking of the rice mixture on the inside.

place filled zucchini into the sauce mixture place on med to high heat until the sauce boils, reduce heat to low, if you have left over filling which easily happens depending on the size of the  kusa just take a heat safe plate or some foil and place that mixture in the plate and place over the zuchinni this does two things 1: It helps to hold the zucchini down.
2: Steams the remaining rice mixture which is very tasty!

So cover this and cook on low until its softened and the rice mixture is kind of bulging out of the tops of the zucchini. yum

lastly mix 1/2 a juiced lemon with some dry mint place over the sauce and bring it back up to a slight boil just to infuse that into the sauce.

InshaAllah you enjoyed this recipe sahtain !