Ablama (Meat Stuffed Zucchini)

I used to love this dish since my childhood because I used to relate it to me and my dad. For me, “Ab” “Lama” translates to Lama’s Dad 🙂 In addition to its name, it also tastes great. The mini zucchini or courgette, the ground beef mixture, and the lemony sauce with the garlic and mint everyting is delicious and together they are even tastier. Let’s cook together and have some fun! 🙂

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 12 mini Zucchinis
  • 1 lb ground Beef
  • Handful of Pines
  • 1 medium Onion (chopped)
  • 1 can Tomato Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
  • 3 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp Dried Mint
  • 1/2 tsp All Spices
  • 1 tsp 7 Spices
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • Black Pepper
  • Salt

Making the Ablama

I started by washing the mini zucchinis. I then trimmed the top and the bottom, then hollowed them using the coring tool. I made sure to hollow them as much as possible  leaving as thin a skin as possible. 
In a skillet, I sautéed my onions on medium heat until they became translucent. I then added the ground beef and mixed them until they were well cooked. I added all the spices (1/2 tsp All Spices, 1/2 tsp 7 Spices, 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Salt) and added the pines and kept cooking until they became toasted. After that, I started filling my Zucchinis with the ground beef mixture.
In a skillet, I sautéed my filled Zucchinis with some oil making sure became a bit brown all around. I then covered them with tomato sauce and some water, and added the pomegranate molasses, the dried mint, the crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp 7 Spices, Black Pepper, and Salt. Once they simmered, I covered them again and lowered the heat until the Zucchinis became well cooked. If needed, you can add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce and some lemon juice if you prefer it more sour.
I served it with some white rice on the side and remembered all my childhood memories with this amazingly delicious dish 🙂
Enjoy!