I grew up on Organic Kuku Sabzi – Persian Herb Frittata, and it’s an easy meal or snack to get tons of greens into your body! Once prepared, eat warm or cold either as a proper sit down meal or on the go! This is a top travel food because it’s easy to eat off your hand and doesn’t require much refrigeration.
Kuku Sabzi is a traditional dish for the last day of Persian New Year’s, Nowruz. The green signifies the beginning of life, the growth of nature, and the beginning of Spring.
Traditionally Kuku Sabzi contains scallions, parsley, chives, cilantro, dill, spinach, lettuce, and fenugreek leaves which is absolutely delicious. Though, getting in some bitter greens that gently cook is ideal for digestion and Kuku Sabzi is an easy way to incorporate them in different and delicious combinations. For example, in this photo I had loads of cilantro, parsley, and chard in my garden a few weeks ago so that’s what I used. I also added dried dillweed and leeks. Flavor will vary depending on the greens you use. Hence a general full proof formula to follow for flavor is to ALWAYS include leeks, cilantro, parsley, and dillweed.
The following ingredients result in a Kuku full of flavor. Flavor is essential in serving up bitter greens to a tough audience.
In addition, Barberries are the red dried berries that give color contrast and is one of the main ingredients that will make you go coocoo for Kuku Sabzi! Barberries are used throughout Persian cooking and have a tart taste that pairs perfectly with the greens to create a nice balanced flavor. Walnuts are traditional in this dish which I LOVE, but raw sesame seeds are not! I am a total freak about toasting and grinding raw sesame seeds and they work amazing here.
Adviyeh is a staple Persian spice mixture. I’m not able to get all the ingredients for my Grandmother’s mixture here in the states but you can get her adapted Adviyeh recipe which contains tumeric, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, rose petals, clove, and ginger.
Finally, can anyone say EGGS, EGGS, AND MORE EGGS! This dish requires lots of eggs, usually between 8-24 eggs depending on the batch. No need to use baking powder or flour just let the eggs do the work. Render greater nutrition with the use of pastured raised organic eggs preferably from a farmer. Crack those babies into your Kuku Sabzi.
This dish is labor intensive because you have to clean up lots of green vegetables, but the rewards are delicious and long lasting especially if you make a big batch. Serve with Organic Greek Yogurt, Baghali Polo – Persian Lima Bean Rice, and some radishes.
Noosh-e-joon ~ To your health!
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