Baked Kofta-Stuffed Zucchini with Mint Yogurt

Name: Baked Kofta-Stuffed Zucchini with Mint Yogurt
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 4 medium (about 7 oz each) (800 g) medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, ends trimmed; 14 oz can (1¾ cups) (400 g) canned crushed tomatoes; 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste; ½ cup (120 ml) water; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely grated; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tablespoon for the sauce, 1 tablespoon for brushing the zucchini; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, for the sauce, plus ½ teaspoon (3 g) for salting the zucchini flesh; 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb, cold; ¾ cup (120 g) cooked long-grain rice, cooled to room temperature; 1 small (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, coarsely grated, with juices; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely grated; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) ground allspice; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin; ½ teaspoon (1.2 g) ground cinnamon; 1¼ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few whole small leaves for garnish; 1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) kosher salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender zucchini boats are packed with allspice-scented lamb and rice, baked in a light tomato sauce, and served with cool garlicky mint yogurt.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Makes: 8 stuffed zucchini halves (4 servings of 2 halves)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the zucchini and sauce
4 medium (about 7 oz each) (800 g) medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, ends trimmed
14 oz can (1¾ cups) (400 g) canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) water
2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely grated
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tablespoon for the sauce, 1 tablespoon for brushing the zucchini
½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, for the sauce, plus ½ teaspoon (3 g) for salting the zucchini flesh
For the kofta filling
1 lb (450 g) ground lamb, cold
¾ cup (120 g) cooked long-grain rice, cooled to room temperature
1 small (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, coarsely grated, with juices
3 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely grated
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) ground allspice
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1.2 g) ground cinnamon
1¼ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For the mint yogurt
1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few whole small leaves for garnish
1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt

Equipment (7)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish
Aluminum foil
Small spoon or melon baller for scooping
Large mixing bowl
Fine-mesh strainer or clean kitchen towel
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater

Steps

Before you start

Cook the rice ahead and let it cool; warm rice will make the filling pasty. About ¼ cup (50 g) dry long-grain rice yields the ¾ cup (120 g) cooked rice needed.
Choose 4 straight, medium zucchini of similar size (about 7 oz / 200 g each) so the boats cook evenly and sit flat.
Take the lamb out of the fridge 15 minutes before mixing so it's easy to work without overmixing.
Plan on about 100 minutes in total, including 20 minutes of passive draining and resting.

1
Make the sauce baseOven 400°F / 205°C
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center.
- In a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt designated for the sauce.
- Spread the sauce evenly across the bottom of the dish.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, loose and evenly spread, with no clumps of paste.
Tip: The sauce should be pourable, not thick; it turns into steam that cooks the zucchini.
2
Hollow the zucchini
- Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the flesh from each zucchini half, leaving a wall about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and keeping the bottom intact.
- Place the scooped flesh on a cutting board and chop it finely.
- If a boat wobbles, slice a very thin sliver off the rounded bottom so it sits flat.
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Ready when: Each shell is a sturdy boat with even walls and no holes.
Tip: Don't scrape too close to the skin or the boats may split while baking.
3
Salt and drain flesh
- Toss the chopped zucchini flesh with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl.
- Let it drain for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the shells with the second tablespoon of olive oil.
- Fit the shells snugly, cut side up, in the sauce in the baking dish.
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Ready when: About 2 tablespoons of liquid collect in the bowl.
Tip: Skipping the drain makes a watery, loose filling.
4
Mix the yogurt sauce
- While the zucchini drains, stir the yogurt, 2 tablespoons chopped mint, 1 grated garlic clove, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a small bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving so the flavors meld.
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Ready when: Yogurt is creamy and flecked evenly with green mint.
5
Mix the filling
- Squeeze the drained zucchini flesh in a clean towel or with your hands until quite dry, then add it to a large bowl.
- Add the lamb, cooked rice, grated onion with its juices, 3 grated garlic cloves, parsley, 2 tablespoons mint, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, 1¼ teaspoons salt and pepper.
- Mix gently with your hands for about 30 seconds, only until evenly combined.
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Ready when: Mixture holds together when pressed into a ball, with rice and herbs evenly distributed.
Tip: Overmixing makes the kofta dense and rubbery.
6
Stuff the boats
- Divide the filling among the 8 shells, about ½ cup (115 g) each, pressing it in firmly and mounding it slightly on top.
- Smooth the surface with damp fingertips so it holds together as it bakes.
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Ready when: Each boat has a neat, compact mound of filling with no gaps at the edges.
Tip: Dip your fingers in water to keep the meat from sticking.
7
Bake coveredOven 400°F / 205°C
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes.
- The tomato sauce will bubble up around the zucchini and steam the filling through.
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Ready when: Sauce is bubbling at the edges and a knife slides easily into the zucchini wall.
Tip: Make sure the foil is sealed around the edges so steam doesn't escape.
8
Uncover and brownOven 400°F / 205°C
- Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more at 400°F (200°C).
- Check that the filling reaches 160°F (71°C) with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a mound.
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Ready when: Tops are browned and firm, the sauce has thickened slightly, and the filling reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: If tops brown before the center reaches 160°F, tent loosely with foil.
9
Rest the dish
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest on a rack for 10 minutes.
- The juices settle and the zucchini becomes easier to lift without breaking.
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Ready when: Sauce stops bubbling vigorously and the boats feel stable.
10
Serve with mint yogurt
- Use a wide spatula to lift 2 boats per plate with some tomato sauce spooned around them.
- Top each with a dollop of mint yogurt and a few small mint leaves, and serve the remaining yogurt at the table.

Good to know

Tips

Salting and squeezing the scooped zucchini flesh is the key to a firm, juicy-not-soggy filling.
Choose zucchini of similar thickness; thin ones overcook before the lamb is done, while very fat ones may need 10 extra minutes.
Grating the onion releases juice that keeps the lamb tender, so don't discard it.
Use a thermometer rather than color alone to confirm 160°F (71°C), because the tomato sauce can make the meat look done early.

Make ahead

"Assemble the stuffed zucchini in the sauce up to 1 day ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate. Add 5–10 minutes to the covered baking time since it will start cold. The yogurt sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: store leftovers and yogurt separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze baked zucchini with sauce (no yogurt) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes until steaming hot and 165°F (74°C) in the center."

Substitutions

ground lamb → ground beef (80% lean) or ground turkey. Beef works 1:1; turkey is leaner so add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the filling. Cook to 165°F (74°C) for turkey.
plain whole-milk yogurt → labneh or Greek yogurt. Thicker; thin with 1–2 tablespoons water if needed.
ground allspice → baharat or 7-spice blend. Use the same amount and reduce cinnamon to ¼ teaspoon since blends already contain it.
cooked long-grain rice → cooked bulgur or cooked short-grain rice. Use the same amount, cooled.