Skip to main content

Kuku Kadoo

Kuku kadoo topped with herbs in an iron skillet
Photograph by Graydon Herriott, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk.

Kukus (a Persian egg dish) can be made with a wide variety of fillings, like potatoes, eggplant, even dates. In this spring-y version, Andy Baraghani caramelizes the zucchini and leeks so they get sweeter and, in his words, “a lot more interesting” before he incorporates the eggs. To make it a full meal, serve each slice with a dollop of yogurt and warm flatbread.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 12 oz.), thinly sliced
2 medium leeks, white, pale green, and dark green parts, halved lengthwise, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
¾ tsp. ground turmeric
8 large eggs, beaten to blend
½ cup coarsely chopped dill and/or parsley
Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large ovenproof nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid over medium. Combine garlic and ¼ cup oil in pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until zucchini and leeks are very tender and almost jammy, 15–17 minutes. Sprinkle turmeric over and stir until vegetables are coated.

    Step 2

    Drizzle more oil around edges of skillet, then pour in eggs and season with salt and pepper. Swirl pan a few times to incorporate ingredients (also using a rubber spatula works well here). Cook, undisturbed, until eggs are set around edges of pan, 1–2 minutes. Cover and cook until bottom is set but top is still a little wet, about 4 minutes.

    Step 3

    Heat broiler. Uncover skillet and broil kuku, watching closely, until top is set and lightly browned, 2–3 minutes. Remove skillet from broiler and scatter herbs over kuku, squeeze juice from lemon wedges over, and season with more pepper.

Read More
Silky Japanese eggplant and fiery serrano chile unite in this no-fuss frittata that’s brunch-ready, dinner-worthy, and wildly good.
This riff on çılbır marries garlicky yogurt, fried eggs, and spiced butter with summer tomatoes.
A punchy vinaigrette of preserved lemon and hot chile animates seared zucchini. A simple solution for summer's most prolific vegetable.
Summer’s best produce cooked into one vibrant, silky, flavor-packed dish.
Harissa adds a layer of nuance to this twist on Italian American favorite, shrimp scampi, offering added body and warmth from spices such as caraway and cumin.
Cilantro and a handful of basic spices brings vibrant green color and rich flavor to broiled chicken thighs. Served with rice or naan, this is a weeknight win.
Upgrade any cookout—or keep the cooking on the stovetop—with these smashed cast-iron bison burgers, then stack with lemon mayo and a crisp cucumber-onion slaw.
A steak dinner that’s more about the sauce than the meat.