Maahshi

Two of my friends from my German language class and I meet once a week to cook and eat together, to better our German speaking skills, to learn about each others cultures and to simply have fun! One comes from Afghanistan, one from Kurdistan (from North Iraq) and one from India. Maahshi is a speciality from Kurdistan and for this recipe a big thank you to Ashena. She also says that every Kurdish dish has meat in it. And I say its has loads of love and fat! ;)

For the meat and vegetables:

2 Zucchinis

1 Brinjal

2 + 2 Tomatoes

2 Capsicum/ Bell peppers

2 + 2 Onions

2/3 dried whole lemons

3 tablespoons Tomato Puree

Raisins - handful

Minced meat

1. Remove the flesh from the vegetables (Zucchini, 2 Tomatoes, Bellpeppers and Brinjal) and keep aside.

2. In a pan, shallow fry raisins, minced meat, flesh from the vegetables and 2 finely chopped onions in oil for 5 minutes.

3. Fill the mixture from step 2 into the vegetables in step 1.

4. In a mixing bowl take tomato puree, 2 cups of water, salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Take a deep large size cooking pot. Slice 2 tomatoes and 2 onions and place them at the bottom of the pot. Over the slices place the stuffed vegetables. Then pout the tomato puree mixture over the vegetables and cook for approximately 30 minutes over medium flame.

DO NOT mix the contents of the pot at any time since it will break the vegetables.

For the rice:

3 cups Jasmine rice (or of your choice)

Oil

Salt

Water

1- 2 cups Pasta of different shapes and colours

Raisins

1. Wash and cook the rice with some oil, salt and water.

2. In another pan cook the pasta with some oil, salt and water.

3. Garnish the rice by arranging the pasta roughly over rice.

Serve the stuffed vegetables from the first recipe with the rice and pasta preparation with some freshly cut salad.