Mahshi Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbed Rice
Ripe-but-firm tomatoes are filled with a fragrant mix of short-grain rice, dill, parsley, onion and cumin, then simmered gently in a garlicky tomato sauce until the rice is tender and the filling is juicy. A classic Egyptian mahshi that is vegetarian and vegan.
- Prep
- 49 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 59 min
- Makes
- 12 stuffed tomatoes (6 servings of 2)
Steps
Before you start
- Choose firm, just-ripe tomatoes of similar size (about 2½ inches / 6–7 cm wide, 150 g each). Overripe tomatoes collapse during simmering.
- Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water, swishing and draining, until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
- The rice is added raw and cooks inside the tomatoes, so you must fill them only about two-thirds full to leave room for it to swell.
- Plan about 2 hours in total, including draining and resting time.
Cut and hollow tomatoes
- Slice about ½ inch (1 cm) off the stem end of each tomato and set these tops aside as lids.
- Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving walls about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick.
- Be careful not to pierce the bottoms or sides.
- Collect all the pulp and juices in a bowl; you should have roughly 1½ cups (360 ml).
- If a tomato wobbles, trim a very thin slice off its base so it stands upright.
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Ready when: Shells are hollow with even walls about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick and no holes.
Tip: Work over a bowl so you catch every drop of juice; it becomes the sauce.
Salt and drain shells
- Sprinkle ½ tsp of the salt evenly inside the 12 shells.
- Turn the shells and lids upside down on a towel-lined tray and let them drain for 15 minutes.
- This seasons the tomatoes and removes excess water that would dilute the filling.
Mix herbed rice filling
- In a large bowl combine the drained rinsed rice, grated onion with its juices, parsley, dill, scallions, filling tomato paste, cumin, coriander, black pepper, 1 tsp of the salt, and the 3 tbsp olive oil.
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the scooped tomato pulp (blended or finely chopped).
- Stir well for about 1 minute so the paste coats the rice and the mixture looks loose and moist.
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Ready when: Filling is evenly red-flecked with green and glistens with oil; taste a pinch of the liquid, it should be well seasoned.
Tip: Do not cook the rice first. It cooks inside the tomatoes and absorbs their juices.
Blend the sauce
- Pour the remaining scooped pulp (about 1 cup / 240 ml) into a blender with the garlic, sauce tomato paste, hot water, 2 tbsp olive oil, the remaining 1 tsp salt, and the sugar if using.
- Blend 20–30 seconds until smooth.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth and uniformly orange-red with no garlic chunks.
Fill the tomatoes
- Stir the filling again.
- Spoon it into each shell so it is only about two-thirds full, leaving ¾ inch (2 cm) of space at the top, because the rice will swell as it cooks.
- Drain any excess liquid from the filling by using a spoon, mostly rice and herbs.
- Put each lid back on its tomato.
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Ready when: Each shell is two-thirds full with the filling sitting below the rim.
Tip: Overfilling is the most common mistake; swollen rice will burst the tomatoes.
Arrange in the pot
- Stand the filled tomatoes upright in the 11-inch (28 cm) pot, packed snugly side by side so they support each other and don't tip.
- Fit any leftover shells or small gaps with extra tomato tops.
- The pot should have no loose room for the tomatoes to move.
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Ready when: Tomatoes stand upright and are tightly packed in a single layer.
Tip: If you have a gap, tuck a crumpled piece of parchment in it to keep the tomatoes from tipping.
Add sauce and heat
- Gently pour the sauce around the tomatoes, not over them, until it reaches about one-third of the way up their sides (roughly 1½ cups / 360 ml; add a splash of hot water if needed).
- Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
- A few small bubbles should break around the edges.
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Ready when: Sauce is steaming with small bubbles at the edges of the pot.
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to low and keep the pot covered.
- Simmer gently for 35 minutes without stirring.
- Rotate the pot once halfway if one side is cooking faster.
- Check the pot at 25 minutes; if the sauce is nearly gone add ¼ cup (60 ml) hot water around the sides.
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Ready when: Tomato skins are wrinkled but intact, the rice inside is tender when you press a grain with a spoon, and the sauce is thickened and glossy.
Tip: Keep the simmer gentle; hard boiling splits the tomato skins.
Rest in the pot
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 15 minutes.
- The tomatoes firm up slightly and the rice finishes absorbing the juices.
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Ready when: Sauce has thickened to a loose, spoonable consistency.
Serve
- Using a wide spoon, lift the tomatoes onto a platter, two per person.
- Spoon the pot sauce over and around them.
- Serve warm with lemon wedges for squeezing.
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Tip: Serve warm or at room temperature; the flavors deepen as they cool.
Good to know
Tips
- Choose tomatoes that are firm and slightly underripe; soft ones split before the rice is done.
- Never fill beyond two-thirds, or the rice will push the lids off and burst the tomatoes.
- A tight fit in the pot is key; if there's space, tomatoes tip and spill their filling.
- Taste the filling liquid before stuffing; the rice absorbs seasoning, so it should taste slightly salty.
Make ahead
Fill the tomatoes up to 6 hours ahead, arrange them in the pot, pour over the sauce and refrigerate, covered. Add 5 extra minutes to the heating step, since the pot will start cold. Mahshi also tastes excellent made the day before and gently reheated.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container with sauce. Freezer: not recommended, as tomato skins turn mushy once thawed. Reheat gently, covered, in a pot over low heat for 10–12 minutes with a splash of water, or microwave in 1-minute bursts until hot throughout.
Substitutions
- short-grain (Egyptian or paella-style) rice → medium-grain rice such as Calrose, or arborio. Avoid long-grain basmati; it stays separate and cooks less creamy. Cooking time is the same.
- fresh dill → fresh mint or cilantro. Use the same volume; mint gives a brighter flavor, though dill is traditional.
- firm, just-ripe medium tomatoes → bell peppers, small zucchini or eggplants. Hollow them out and fill the same way; peppers need about 10 extra minutes of simmering.
- scallions → 1 extra small onion, finely grated or minced. Or use 2 tbsp finely chopped chives.
