Persian Sibzaminipotato Kuku Recipes

KUKU SABZI: BAKED PERSIAN HERB OMELET

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trace the bottom of an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round cake pan on kitchen parchment, then cut inside the lines to create a piece to fit in the bottom of the pan.
• Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, turning the parchment to coat on both sides (the oil should pool at the bottom and generously coat the sides).
• In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, dill, scallions and the remaining 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Process until finely ground (now, I like my herbs less fine, so I stopped the processor at my desired texture). Set aside for now.
• In a large bowl, whisk the baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and pepper. Add 2 eggs and whisk until blended, then add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Fold in the herb-scallion mixture and the walnuts and cranberries, if using. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake in 375 degrees F heated-oven until the center of the egg is firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. (The egg mixture will rise, but will go down once you set it aside to cool.)
• Let the kuku cool in the pan undisturbed for 10 minutes. When ready, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen the kuku. Invert onto a plate and remove the parchment from bottom, then re-invert on another serving plate or a cutting board so the top of the kuku is facing you. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Serve with a dollop of yogurt. See more suggestions in the post under "what to serve with kuku sabzi."

KUKU SABZI

Steps:

• Slice leek in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch, nonstick, broiler-safe skillet over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven's broiler with the rack in the upper third position.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add baking powder, fenugreek, salt, and turmeric, and whisk to thoroughly combine. Fold parsley, cilantro, dill, and leeks into eggs. Gently stir to combine; the mixture will be mostly herbs, with just enough egg to wet the mixture through.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add herb mixture and distribute evenly in the pan, smoothing the top. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until the bottom and edges are just set, about 8 minutes.
• Remove cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook until the top and middle is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

FRESH HERB KUKU

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature; reserve skillet.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a 9-x-12-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, lightly whisk to combine eggs, salt, pepper, baking powder, all of the spices and the rose petal, if using. Add caramelized onions, all of the herbs, walnuts, lettuce, spring onion, garlic and rice flour. Fold just to combine; do not overmix.
• Brush prepared baking dish with 1/4 cup oil. (It may look like a lot, but it gets absorbed into the batter.) Add batter, smoothing out the top and pushing it to the sides. Bake until center is set, about 20 minutes, and transfer to a cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, place the skillet used to cook the onion over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the barberries, grape molasses or sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer, stirring, until liquid is reduced and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
• Top cooked kuku with caramelized barberries and cut into 6 equal pieces. Serve hot or room temperature, with lavash and yogurt, if desired.

KUKU SABZI (PERSIAN HERB FRITTATA)

Steps:

• Trim woody ends from cilantro, parsley and dill so that only leaves and tender stems remain. Wash herbs and romaine leaves, then use a salad spinner to dry very well. Set aside.
• Finely dice both the green and white parts of the leeks. Wash well and drain.
• Set a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add leeks. Season with a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened but not browned, about 20 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary.
• In the meantime, very finely chop the cilantro, parsley, dill and romaine by hand - the smaller the pieces, the more deeply green your kuku will be. To chop such a large volume of herbs, take a large handful or two at a time and roll into a tight ball. Run a large, sharp knife through the ball to initially chop the herbs roughly, then continue to rock the knife back and forth through the pile of herbs until very finely chopped. Repeat with remaining herbs until finished. Combine the chopped herbs and romaine with the dried fenugreek and dried dill in a very large bowl.
• When leeks are cooked, add herb mixture and another generous pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring often, until it dries out and the color changes to a very dark green, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture back into the very large bowl; spread it out, then allow it to cool to room temperature.
• When the herb mixture has cooled, add barberries, turmeric, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste the mixture: It should be a little on the salty side. If it's not, add a little more salt. One at a time, add eggs to the herb mixture, stirring well after each addition. Use as few eggs as needed to barely bind the mixture; this will ensure a brilliant-green kuku. The mixture should be the consistency of a loose porridge.
• Wipe out the pan and melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add a tiny spoonful of the kuku mixture to the pan. When it sizzles, add the rest of the mixture and use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. The oil should bubble up the sides of the kuku. Run the spatula around the edge and jiggle the pan from time to time to check that the mixture isn't sticking. Cook, rotating pan a quarter turn every 3 to 4 minutes, until the kuku is set, the bottom is a very dark brown, and the edges are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't be afraid of getting your crust really dark - it will appear almost burned, but it will taste heavenly sweet.
• Use a rubber spatula to ensure that the kuku is not stuck to the pan, then carefully tip as much of the oil as possible into a medium bowl and set aside. Cover the pan with a large, flat platter or pizza pan and flip the kuku onto it and set aside. Return the oil to the pan and carefully slide the flipped kuku back into the pan to cook the second side. Cook over medium-high until the second side is dark brown and the kuku is cooked through, about 5 more minutes.
• While the kuku finishes cooking, wipe off the platter and line with a double layer of paper towels. Flip the finished kuku onto the prepared platter and use another paper towel to dab excess oil from the surface. To serve, flip once more onto a serving platter and peel away paper towels.
• Serve warm, cold or at room temperature, with your choice of radishes, pickles, feta, warmed flatbread and mast-o khiar.