First, the name: “Yakhni” is a word Farsi origin, that is used from the Balkans to Pakistan to describe various styles of dishes. In the Middle East, it usually refers to a stew.
Yakhnet Kousa or Sauteed Zucchini. It is a delicious zucchini dish with few ingredients and simple cooking.
In Syria, we prepare zucchini in a variety of ways. Here is a quick sautéed zucchini cooked with tomatoes and minced meat, but it can simply be done without meat. This is incredibly easy to make. Serve it with pita bread or aside with rise.
Ingredients
250g minced meat
1 medium onion chopped
1 kg zucchinis cut into small cubes
2 cups rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1 can tomato sauce
5 cups of water
Garlic
3/4 tablespoon dried mint if dried.
1 tsp of cinnamon powder, seven spices and salt.
Method
Fry the chopped onions, then add the meat and all the spices.
When the meat is cooked, add the cubed zucchini and let them get a little color.
Then, add the tomato paste and the tomato puree to create a fairly thin tomato sauce. Let the vegetable and meat simmer in this sauce until fully cooked, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
When the stew has cooked, add quite a bit of the following: crushed garlic, chopped fresh or crushed dried mint, and lemon juice.
These should be added at the last minutes of cooking, so they retain a sharp freshness that lifts the dish. Serve with hot rice.
Lara Khouli