Although in Cyprus we usually stuff the courgette flowers with a stuffing made of minced meat, rice and aromatics, I chose to do a version mostly found in Greece and the Greek islands where the taste of the flower is elevated with the minimum use of other ingredients. First ingredient to be excluded is the minced meat and then the tomatoes.
Kolokithoanthoi, stuffed Courgette flowers
Have a look below at the full recipe. Don’t forget, you can always print it. I hope you enjoy it!
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I hope you enjoy it!
Chop the mint and the parsley.
Slice the scallions.
Grate the carrot, courgettes, scallions and fennel.
Place a medium-large saucepan into medium heat and add half the oil. Heat up for a minute and add the onions, grated carrots, fennel and courgettes, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir to combine for 3 minutes.
Place the above mixture in a bowl, add the parsley, fresh and dry mint, salt and pepper, mix well and allow 5 minutes to cool.
place in a non-stick casserole where we have added few round slices of courgettes at the bottom to ensure that the flowers don’t stick at the bottom.
Pour on them the vegetable stock, the lemon juice and the rest of the oil.
Place a plate on top of them to make sure that they cook well and keep their shape.
Cover the casserole and turn on the heat to medium, bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
Kolokithoanthoi, stuffed Courgette flowers
Servings: 8 People
Ingredients
- 1 cup Long Grain Rice , rinsed, about 250 grs
- 40 Courgette Flowers
- 1 small Carrot , grated
- 2 medium to large Courgettes , grated
- 1 large Courgette , sliced
- ¾ cup fresh Mint , home grown, leaves picked and finely chopped
- ¾ cup fresh Parsley , chopped
- 2 bulbs Fennel , grated
- 1 bunch fresh Scallions , finely sliced.
- 900 ml Vegetable Stock, Bouillon
- ⅔ cup EVOO , Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about 160 ml
- 50 ml Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dry Mint , powder-ground
- 1 tablespoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To prepare the stuffing place a medium-large saucepan into medium heat and add half the oil. Heat up for a minute and add the onions, grated carrots, fennel and courgettes, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine for 3 minutes.
- Place the above mixture in a bowl, add the parsley, fresh and dry mint, salt and pepper, mix well and allow 5 minutes to cool.
- One by one start filling the flowers 2/3 full, tack in the end tips by twisting the flower and place in a non-stick casserole where we have added few round slices of courgettes at the bottom to ensure that the flowers don’t stick at the bottom. Each flower is snugly placed next to each other creating a circle of flowers with the opening of the flower facing the side of the casserole to ensure that the flower doesn’t open, and the filling comes apart. Then fill the inner circle again snugly placed next to each other. If any filling is left place it in the casserole towards the center.
- Pour on them the vegetable stock, the lemon juice and the rest of the oil. Place a plate on top of them to make sure that they cook well and keep their shape. Cover the casserole and turn on the heat to medium, bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
- When ready, remove the plate, let cool a bit and serve with yogurt.
