(Kuku-ye sabzi)
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Najmieh Batmanglij's book A Taste of Persia. Batmanglij also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
To read more about Batmanglij and Persian cuisine, click here.
A kuku is a baked omelet somewhat similar to an Italian frittata or an Arab eggah; it is thick and rather fluffy, and stuffed with herbs, vegetables, or meat. It may be eaten hot or cold — it keeps well in the refrigerator for two or three days — as an appetizer, side dish, or light main dish with yogurt or salad and bread. Kukus are traditionally made on the stovetop, but my oven version is much simpler. A fresh herb kuku such as this one is a traditional New Year's dish in Iran. The green herbs symbolize rebirth, and the eggs, fertility and happiness for the year to come.
Recipe information
Yield
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the oil into an 8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Step 2
2. Break the eggs into a large bowl. Add the baking powder, advieh, salt, and pepper. Lightly beat in the garlic, chopped herbs, flour, and fenugreek. Adjust seasoning.
Step 3
3. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until the edge is golden brown.
Step 4
4. Serve the kuku from the baking dish, or unmold it by loosening the edge with a knife and inverting the dish onto a serving platter. Remove the parchment paper. NUSH-E JAN!
Najmieh Batmanglij shares her tips with Epicurious:
Step 5
•Though many Iranians now use vegetable oil, clarified butter (ghee) is Iran's traditional cooking fat. To make it, start with a third more unsalted butter than you will need for the recipe. Melt the butter over low heat, then increase the heat to medium low and simmer the butter, without stirring, until it stops crackling and the milk solids brown and drop to the bottom. Skim off any foam from the top, and strain the ghee through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Ghee will keep at room temperature, covered, for several months.
•Advieh, a mix of ground cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin and dried rose petals, is available online at www.sadaf.com.
•Dried barberries, which add a sour flavor to many Persian dishes, are available online at www.sadaf.com. "I like to use the dried fenugreek leaves in the batter, and also some red barberries on top for color," says Batmanglij. "Sauté them with a little oil and a teaspoon of sugar, then sprinkle them on top of the kuku just before serving."
