Kuku Sabzi Food

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.

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.

KUKU SABZI

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the oil to coat the pan. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Preheat the broiler.
• Stir together the parsley, cilantro, dill, baking powder, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Mix well until the eggs are incorporated (the mixture will be very dense and green). Stir in the leeks.
• Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet, then add the herb and egg mixture, pressing it into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until set on the bottom and about 2 inches in from the sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the lid and transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil the kuku, keeping an eye on it, until set completely in the center, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the kuku from the bottom of the skillet and slide it onto a plate. Sprinkle with the walnuts and cranberries if using, then cut into 8 wedges and serve.

KUKU SABZI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 ̊ F. Crack the eggs into a blender and give them a quick pulse just to whisk them. Add the herbs, scallions, turmeric, sumac, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the yogurt. Pulse to chop the herbs, then blend on high speed until smooth.
• Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, breaking up any clumps of herbs. Sprinkle with the walnuts and currants and cook until the eggs start to set around the edges, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the center is set but still slightly jiggly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the pita in the oven.
• Slice the kuku sabzi and the pita into wedges and divide among plates. Serve with lemon wedges, pickles, olives, pickled peppers and/or marinated artichokes. Add a dollop of yogurt to each plate; drizzle the yogurt with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac.

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.

FRESH HERB KUKU

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the oil into an 8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper.
• 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.
• 3. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until the edge is golden brown.
• 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:
• •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."