Kousa

The delicious and spicy dish is nothing but simply stuffed squash. This traditional and authentic recipe can be made easily by mixing a handful of regular ingredients from your kitchen cabinet. They are soft and juicy with a heavy meat stuffing to fill the hunger.

Ingredients:

• Chicken broth- 8 cups
• Mexican squash- 16
• Garlic cloves-6 (crushed)
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp
• Black pepper- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp
• Onion- 1 (minced)
• Salt- 1 tsp+ 2 tsp
• Ground beef- 1 pound
• Tomato paste- 1 cup
• Allspice- 1 tsp
• Tomato- 1 (large, cut into 16 pieces)
• Long grain rice- 1 1/2 cups (white)

Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serving Size: 8

Instructions:

1. Take the squash and chop off the stalk. Cut the top of the dried portion of the squash.

2. Carefully remove only the core with the help of an apple corer.

3. Take a pan and drizzle a tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the onions for about 1 minute.

4. Add the beef and sprinkle a tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Mix well.

5. Sprinkle the allspice and cook.

6. Cook the beef till the color changes to brown. This will take around 8-10 minutes.

7. Transfer the rice grains and the rest of the salt. Mix them well. Keep it aside.

8. Take a pot, drizzle 3 tbsp of olive oil, and set it on the flame.

9. Pour the tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds.

10. Add the crushed garlic and sprinkle a tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Combine them well by stirring for about 1 minute.

11. Pour the broth and mix. Let it cook on low flame.

12. With the help of a spoon, scoop the rice- beef mixture inside the hollow squash. Don't fill till the top (leave ¼-inch gap) so that the rice gets space to swell.

13. In the above way, stuff the rest of the hollowed squash.

14. Place the prepared squash on the boiling pot and cook on low flame for at least 40-45 minutes.

15. Turn off the flame when it is soft, the rice has cooked, and the sauce has thickened. Serve.