Recipe: Stuffed Courgettes with Persian Rice

• Step 1 Wash and soak the rice
• Step 2 Cook rice, add chopped ingredients and stir-fry in a pan
• Step 3 Cut courgettes in half and remove core
• Step 4 Chop parsley and dill and season to taste with spices
• Step 5 Fry courgettes and stuff with a spoon
• Step 6 Bake stuffed courgettes in the oven
• Step 7 Serve stuffed courgettes with mast-o-khiar, a Persian yogurt with cucumber

INGREDIENTS

250g Basmati rice

Salt

0.1g saffron

150g butter

50g raisins

50g barberries

2 tsp advieh koresh (or garam masala)

10g slivered almonds

1 bunch dill

1 bunch parsley

2 red onions

1 bunch fresh bay leaves

2 sprigs of rosemary

8 round courgettes

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Rinse the rice until the rinsing water turns clear. Add a pinch of salt, cover with several inches of water and soak for 1 hour.

Drain the rice well and bring to a boil in a large pan with around four times the amount of water as rice, then leave to simmer for 3–4 minutes until it is cooked but still retains some bite. Strain through a sieve. Peel and slice the onions. Heat two tablespoons of butter in a wide saucepan and fry the saffron, onions, raisins, barberries, slivered almonds and advieh koresh for around 3 minutes. Add the rice, stir well and take the pan off the heat.

Halve the courgettes, removing the cores and adding them to the rice mixture.

Wash and roughly chop the parsley and dill before adding to the rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the courgettes, cut side down, until they are golden brown in colour. Fill the courgette halves with the rice mixture, topping each with a knob of butter.

Then arrange them on a baking sheet with the rosemary and bay leaves and bake at 170°C Circo Therm® at oven rack position 2 for 30–40 minutes until the courgettes are cooked through and the rice on top is slightly crunchy.

Serve with mast-o-khiar, a Persian cucumber yoghurt.