While I am not Persian by birth or heritage, I have been thinking a lot about Iranian women these days. Kuku Sabzi – Persian frittata is a lovely and delicious way to celebrate them during the Persian new year, Nowruz, which begins on Monday (March 20th) this year.
The women of Iran are under siege by repressive forces. Struggling for freedom, they are beaten, imprisoned, and killed for exercising rights we in the West take for granted. I stand with those women in spirit. Hopefully they will triumph in the end over those who would deny them basic human rights. I don’t do politics on this blog. But caring about other women and their fate is not politics – at least not in this instance.
This dish is also a wonderful way to celebrate Sephardic Jewish traditions. Kuku sabzi is traditional among Sephardic Jews for Yom Kippur because it can be made ahead of time and is often served at room temperature. It also makes a wonderful Passover main course as it is wheat-free. (Note that also makes it gluten-free.) And while it is not vegan (because of the eggs), it is vegetarian.
There are, of course, many versions of kuku sabzi. I checked out several. Mine is an amalgamation, borrowing heavily from Andy Baraghani’s version on Epicurious.
The reason I call it a Persian frittata is that it is egg-based. Of course, frittata is Italian and kuku sabzi is Persian, but that is just about the geographical origin of the dish. Like a frittata, it cooks the eggs, undisturbed. I like the Budget Bytes definition of a frittata and you can compare it to the recipe below to see that the two dishes are at least cousins in a culinary sense.
If you want simple instructions for making a frittata, check out my template and spinach, onion, and cheese frittata recipe.
But now, let’s talk about the Persian version.
How to Make Kuku Sabzi
Kuku Sabzi has a few major ingredients – eggs, greens, baking powder, onions and related vegetables, and spices. All the rest are optional.
And the process for making this dish can vary. But basically, you chop the onions/leeks, shallots, and sauté them, chop the greens, mix the eggs and spices, and then mix everything together.
Tips for Making Kuku Sabzi (Persian Frittata)
- The process. Some recipes are done completely on a stovetop, while others simply bake. In one recipe I consulted, the stovetop kuku sabzi is flipped, so it cooks on both sides. This version uses both stovetop and oven. If you don’t have a pan with an oven-proof handle or a cast iron pan, make it only on the stovetop. In that event, you may want to slip it over, which is a bit tricky, but definitely do-able. See directions here.
- The greens. Recipes use a wide variety of greens. I have specified what greens you could use, but feel free to go wherever your vegetable bin or your imagination take you. This recipe uses fenugreek as well as better known herbs. If you can find dried fenugreek leaves, I urge you to use this ingredient. Michael Solomonov introduced me to fenugreek in barley-stuffed grape leaves. (From his book, Zahav. I love the recipe and was glad to find that fenugreek is common in Middle Eastern dishes, including those of Iran/Persia.)
- Color contrast. Although barberries or cranberries are optional, I like them because of the color contrast they provide. Added on top, they put a bright red note on the green carpet of the base of various greens.
Kuku Sabzi – Persian Frittata
This greens-based Persian version of a frittata is easy to make and lovely for a brunch or main dish. Traditionally, Persians serve it for Persian new year, Nowruz, and it is also served by Sephardic Jews.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil 60 g/2 oz. Use canola, avocado or grapeseed for example. Not olive oil, which does not do well under a broiler and tends to have a distinct flavor.
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped About 155 g/5 & 1/2 oz.
- 1 medium leek, or 2-3 shallots, well cleaned and finely chopped About 155 g/5 & 1/2 oz. See note about cleaning leeks.
- 5 cups mixed green herbs and greens, leaves and fine stems only, finely chopped See notes below about types of greens and chopping
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves Optional
- 5 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric For color. Optional.
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped Optional
Garnishes
- 1/3 cup dried barberries or cranberries 45 g/1 & 1/2 oz.
Instructions
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Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch pan with an oven-safe handle. (Cast iron pan is fine.) Cook the onion and leek or shallots for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are transparent and soft, but not brown. Transfer them to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, baking powder, pepper and turmeric if using. Add the chopped greens, onion/leek or onion/shallot mixture, and chopped nuts (if using) to the egg mixture and gently mix them together with a strong spatula. The mixture will be thick and green.
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Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Pour in the mixture and spread it out evenly. Cover the pan with a fitted cover or half sheet pan and cook on the stovetop over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, until the bottom is set. While the egg mixture is cooking, turn on the broiler.
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Uncover the pan and set it under the broiler for about 1 – 2 minutes, just until the top is set. Add the barberries or cranberries if using. Set the kuku sabzi aside for about 5 minutes to cool.
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Run a sharp knife around the edges and slip the finished kuku sabzi onto a platter for serving, Consider serving yogurt alongside.
Recipe Notes
If you are using leeks, make sure to clean them well. I cut mine lengthwise in half, then half again (resulting in long strips), then sliced the strips into thin pieces and rinsed them in a colander. After rinsing, I dried them well before adding to the chopped onion and sautéeing them.
For the green herbs and greens, use whatever you have on hand. I suggest a mixture of cilantro, fresh dill, parsley (I prefer flat leaf, also called Italian, to curly leaf), and baby spinach. If you want to use up scallions, add them in too, maybe using slightly less onion or leek/shallots because scallions are sharp like those vegetables.
If you don’t want to spend lots of time chopping and you’re careful not to over-process, you can chop the greens together in a food processor. If using a food processor, do only about 8-10 quick pulses.
Laura Goodman says
I am making this recipe on Thursday (my day off) if I can get to the Indian Spice store for Fenugreek! It looks lovely and has a great message!
Laura says
Oh good. If you use Amazon, you can get fenugreek through that online source. I find it at Rodman’s in DC and I believe Yekta market has it in Rockville. But you’re in VA (right?) and I’m not familiar with VA stores.