ALLCAPS COOKBOOK PRESENTS: Kuku Sabzi (Persian Vegetable Frittata) (Patreon)

What is that? Other than fun to say?

It’s a Persian frittata, basically.

Sassy Egg Puck.

Spicy Grass Circle.

This is what I make at home, tweaked from several recipes. It’s SO good for you, packed with leafy greens but also FLAVEUR. It’s especially great if you have a bunch of spinach or other leaf that has to be used immediately or it’ll go bad, which seems to be as soon as you get it home with the leafs, I tells ya. 

This is SUPER variable. Keep the spice blend and try dried cranberries or watercress instead of cilantro. Throw pickled carrots on top. GO WILD WITH YOUR FRITTATA. (Frittata sounds kind of dirty, tbh) You can sub in really any sort of lettuces as you prefer, romaine is great, especially if you want to take the time to char it beforehand. This is all very forgiving as long as you keep the veggie to egg ratio more or less the same. It will be VERY thick before cooking, and yes, I really mean that much green confetti.

I’ve found this a good breakfast after holiday meals, which almost always have a bunch of greenery leftover. It’s super fast and once you’ve made it twice, you’ll be able to do it without thinking. 

I put a quick sriracha mayo (ingredients are in the name; maybe a little brown sugar as well) or greek yogurt with a half a lemon squeezed in and fresh ground pepper. The meat in the photo is my carnitas because it DOES go on everything, but you can accompany it with flank steak, spicy sausage, seitan, crispy tofu, really anything, if you want that UMAMI PROTEIN truth.

Otherwise, Popeye would be proud.

Are You Ready for My Kuku?

1 small onion

1-2 clove garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (if you like cilantro)

1/4 cup spring onions or chives

3/4 cup finely chopped or shredded spinach

3/4 cup finely chopped or shredded arugula

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

1//2 teaspoon dried fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon ground sichuan peppercorns OR orange zest and white pepper

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup smashed pistachios

2-3 tablespoons raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional for topping:

Sriracha mayo or greek yogurt with lemon juice and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a skillet the size of the frittata you want, throw in a tablespoon of olive oil and the onion on medium-low heat, cook until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic, continue for one more minute.

While the onions cook, make sure you have all the greens (and there are a lot) prepped and chopped and ready to throw in. After onions are browned, add spinach and turn to coat, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Remove mixture to a large bowl.

Put all the other greens in with the spinach-onion mixture while still hot, add spices, nuts, raisins, mix briefly, then add eggs, flour, and baking powder and stir until a very green kind of batter is achieved. Do not overmix.

You can use butter if you like the flavor—I personally hate butter with eggs so I just use a bit more olive oil. You just want to make sure nothing sticks to the pan. Pour in frittata mix and shape to pan with a wooden spoon.

Bake for 5-7 minutes, until just set. Then turn on broiler and give it 2-3 minutes, being super careful not to let it burn, to brown and caramelize the top.

Serve sliced like pie, warm, with sriracha mayo or greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice and pepper on top. I added my carnitas on top of that to get some protein, but it’s a complete meal even without.