Zucchini (called koossa) is such a beloved vegetable in these parts that it has given rise to many dishes, some elaborate, some simple and rustic like this treedeh.
In this treedeh, the pulp of the zucchini alone is used (after coring them for stuffing purposes). I say use the entire zucchini if you don’t feel like making stuffed ones!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound of zucchini or zucchini pulp
- 1 pita bread
- olive oil, as needed
- 2 garlic cloves (or more, to taste), mashed with a pinch of salt in a mortar
- 1 tbsp of dry mint powder
- salt, pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- juice of a small lemon
METHOD:
- Toast the pita bread in the oven till crisp and golden; break into croutons.
- Grate the zucchini (in a box grater with large holes) or chop the pulp. Place in a saucepan with 3/4 cup of water and bring it to a gentle simmer; after 10 minutes, add the chopped onion and spices, lemon juice and garlic. Simmer 10 minutes longer till the zucchini is soft and the water has evaporated.
- Top the treedeh with the toasted pita croutons and sprinkle with the mint powder. Right before serving swirl a couple tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dish. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
13 Comments
An interesting dish! I love the idea of making a hash with those ingredients.
Cheers,
Rosa
this maybe rustic but is delicious,,,..,the zuccini absorbs all the flavors.lemon mint garlic, and then the crunch of the pita..very very nice..
Never heard of this before! Sounds easy enough for me; will try it! Thanks
Very well done.
I don’t even need to mention to you that stuffed Koossa was one of my absolute favorites as a kid, still love it and it’s great to see that you don’t waste any of the parts!
You should have links to sound files for some of these Lebanese words as they are utterly beautiful in pronunciation.
What a beautiful shot of those zucchini with blossoms! This sounds like a dish I would love and one so full of flavor.
Nice…I like that addition of the toasted pita bread.
@Mark: GREAT idea! I will do this, as soon as possible!
Voilà une excellente façon d’utiliser l’intérieur des courgettes que l’on veut farcir !
Bises
Hélène
A healthy vegetarian dish!
Looks wonderful! I love a good veg hash. Wish I could get zucchini as tiny and pretty as yours are.
Lovely, Joumana! Such a favorite of ours after making mahshi.
Simple and scrumptious! I love zucchini and this is such a unique and simple way to prepare it. Perfect! (and love those zucchini flowers!)
I think that it is brilliant you have a recipe to use up the inside of the zucchini when you make stuffed ones.
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[...] Here is an idea: steam the zucchinis a couple of minutes till tender, cut them in half lengthwise and core them with a small spoon. Keep the zucchini flesh for another recipe (two possibilites, here and there). [...]