makes
20
prep
1 hour
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
20
serves
preparation
1
hour
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking
- 1 small brown onion, finely diced
- 1 ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 125 ml (½ cup) tomato passata
- 50 ml (2 ½ tbsp) water
- 100 g (½ cup) medium grain Calrose rice
- 20 zucchini flowers with baby zucchini attached
The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.
Instructions
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add the dill and mint, and mix well. Add the cumin, pepper, salt, tomato passata and water. Increase heat to high, bring to a simmer and add the rice. Cover and lower heat to simmer gently for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Lightly oil the base of a large baking dish with olive oil. With your fingers, very carefully pull out the inside stamen of each zucchini flower (taking extra care not to rip the outside). Using a teaspoon, carefully add the rice mixture into the flower, close the petals over the rice and place in baking dish. Fill all the flowers and place them side by side in the baking dish to fit snugly. Drizzle some olive oil over the zucchini flowers, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add water in the tray to 1cm in depth.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC and bake the zucchini flowers for 50-60 minutes, or until rice is cooked through and zucchini are tender.
Photography by Alan Benson
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
