TÜRKPATENT registration No. 1229 defines Kilis Şıhılmahşe through local tüylü acur, called acir in Kilis, and broken roasted chickpeas called kudama. The registered filling uses lamb shoulder, onion, tomato, tomato paste, parsley and chickpeas, with no rice or bulgur. The vegetables are fried for only 2–3 minutes before filling and baking. Outside Kilis, small Armenian cucumbers or short firm zucchini are a practical substitute, but they do not reproduce the protected regional ingredient exactly.
Kilis Şıhılmahşe — Recipe Card
Kilis Stuffed Cucumbers with Lamb, Chickpeas and Garlic Yogurt
Makes 8 servings · About 20 pieces; 8 servingsUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Kilis Şıhılmahşe
Prepare the vegetables
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Wash and dry the cucumbers or zucchini, trim the ends and lightly scrape the outer skin in narrow stripes. Hollow them carefully, whole or halved, leaving 6–8 mm/¼ inch walls. Rub the cavities with 2 g/⅓ tsp of the salt.
Fry briefly
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the hollowed vegetables in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning until glossy and lightly golden but still firm. Drain on paper towels and cool. Reserve 45 ml/3 tbsp of the oil; let the rest cool before discarding or straining for another suitable use.
Cook the filling
Cook the onions in 30 ml/2 tbsp reserved oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 71°C/160°F. Stir in the grated tomatoes, chickpeas, half the parsley, 8 g/1½ tsp tomato paste, 5 g/¾ tsp salt and all the black pepper. Cook until the mixture is moist but no longer watery, 6–8 minutes, then cool for 10 minutes.
Fill and bake
Fill the vegetables without packing tightly and arrange them horizontally in a shallow baking dish, open ends facing one another where possible. Whisk the remaining 8 g/1½ tsp tomato paste, 3 g/½ tsp salt, dried mint and hot water; pour around the vegetables. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, until tender but intact and bubbling.
Add garlic yogurt
Mix the strained yogurt with the garlic and remaining 15 ml/1 tbsp reserved oil. Rest the baked vegetables for 10 minutes, then spoon the garlic yogurt over them and finish with the remaining parsley. Serve warm, with the sauce from the dish.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-stuffed-zucchini-kilis-sihilmahse. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Registered method
The protected Kilis dish uses tüylü acur, lamb shoulder and kudama. Small Armenian cucumbers or short zucchini and cooked peeled chickpeas are practical substitutions outside Kilis, not claims of an identical geographical product.
No rice
Şıhılmahşe is distinguished from many dolma by a filling without rice or bulgur. Chickpeas or kudama provide the characteristic bite; do not add grain to the base recipe.
Heat level
No added chili. Black pepper gives warmth but the tomato paste is mild. For a spicy variation, replace up to half the tomato paste with hot pepper paste and label-check it for salt and allergens.
Allergens
Contains milk in the strained yogurt. Check yogurt, tomato paste and any packaged chickpeas for allergen and cross-contact information. Keep yogurt refrigerated until serving.
Food safety
Cook the ground lamb filling to at least 71°C/160°F before stuffing. Use clean utensils and a clean baking dish after handling raw lamb, and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
How to store and reheat Kilis Şıhılmahşe
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours at 4°C/40°F or below and eat within 4 days. Store the garlic yogurt separately when possible. Reheat the stuffed vegetables and sauce to 74°C/165°F, then add cold yogurt; discard food left out longer than 2 hours.
Kilis Şıhılmahşe: questions and answers
What does Şıhılmahşe mean?
The registration records regional forms including Şıhılmahşi and Şağal Mahşi, and explains the name as ‘the king of stuffed dishes.’
Can I use ordinary zucchini?
Yes. Choose short, slim, firm zucchini so they can be hollowed without tearing. The protected Kilis version uses local tüylü acur, so zucchini is a home-kitchen substitution.
Can I make it ahead?
Prepare and fill the vegetables up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below. Bake from cold, allowing a few extra minutes, and mix the garlic yogurt shortly before serving.
