Fresh Herb Kuku

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Updated July 29, 2018

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(462)
Comments
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Kuku is a traditional Persian egg dish similar to a frittata. This version by the Iranian food writer Najmieh Batmanglij was served at the White House at Michelle Obama's Nowruz celebration on April 6. In it, a variety of fresh green herbs are mixed with fragrant spices, chopped walnuts and just enough eggs to bind everything together. Dried barberries, caramelized with grape molasses or sugar, make a pretty and sweet-tart garnish. If you can’t get barberries, substitute dried cranberries. Kuku can be served warm or at room temperature, and can be made a day in advance. Leftovers make excellent sandwiches when stuffed into lavash or pita with yogurt. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: Persian Cuisine, Fragrant and Rich With Symbolism

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

  • 6 eggs

  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground rose petal (optional)

  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley

  • 1 cup finely chopped cilantro

  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill

  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

  • ½ cup finely chopped romaine lettuce

  • ½ cup finely chopped spring onions, white and green parts

  • 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced

  • 1 tablespoon rice flour

  • ⅓ cup dried barberries or cranberries, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, rinsed and drained

  • 1 teaspoon grape molasses, or substitute sugar

  • Lavash, for serving (optional)

  • Yogurt, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

22 grams carbs; 161 milligrams cholesterol; 399 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 397 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ¼ 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.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a 9-x-12-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

  3. Step 3

    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.

  4. Step 4

    Brush prepared baking dish with ¼ 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.

  5. Step 5

    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.

  6. Step 6

    Top cooked kuku with caramelized barberries and cut into 6 equal pieces. Serve hot or room temperature, with lavash and yogurt, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
462 user ratings
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Comments

Leigh Ann Kingsbury

NYT food notes: the one social media tool where I actually enjoy reading the comments!

Brad

Fresh herb (sabzi) kuku is wonderful. You can get away with pretty much any mix of fresh herbs. A lot of Persian, and Indian, stores sell frozen bags of fresh herbs.

I had a great experience buying sabzi at a local market. After we packed the bag at the checkout, the counter was covered in a litter of green leaves. I apologised for making a mess.

The woman at the cash register looked at me very sternly. "It's not a mess. It's sabzi!"

Meri

I didn't want to buy rice flour to use just 1 T of it. Checking other kuku recipes, it seemed OK to use all-purpose unbleached white flour. Results were excellent.
Be sure not to chop the nuts too finely. The crunchy walnut pieces added an appealing texture. I toasted the walnuts first, and that enriched the flavor as well.
Cut in smaller squares, this dish would be a lovely hors d'oeuvre. Serve on matching squares of oven-toasted pita.

Mina

As an Iranian, I can say that this recipe is different from the original recipe for this dish.

Karen of Geneva NY

I didn’t bother with the topping due to sheer laziness and still found this a fascinating recipe. But next time I will make it. And there will be a next time. Probably this weekend. Wow.

Jill

This was taste-free. I did not find it salty, as others did. But it was incredibly bland for something made with a core of herbs. I won't make this again.

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Credits

"Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple” by Najmieh Batmanglij (Mage Publishers, 2015)

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