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Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Frittata)

A deep green Persian frittata that's more herbs than egg. High in protein, very low in carbs, and just as good cold the next day.

Prep: 25 min Cook: 30 min Total: 55 min Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches (100g) flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems
  • 1 bunch (50g) cilantro, leaves and tender stems
  • 1 cup (30g) fresh dill, loosely packed
  • 4 (60g) green onions
  • 8 large (400g) eggs
  • 1 tsp (1g) dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp (1g) ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp (2g) baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp (4g) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (1g) black pepper
  • 1/3 cup (35g) walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
  • 3 Tbs (40g) olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Wash the herbs and green onions, then dry them very well in a salad spinner or rolled up in a towel. Wet herbs make a soggy kuku.
  3. Finely chop the herbs and green onions by hand or pulse them in a food processor. You want them minced, not a paste. You should have about 4-5 packed cups.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the fenugreek, turmeric, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
  5. Fold in the chopped herbs and walnuts. The mixture should look much more green than yellow, with just enough egg to hold the herbs together.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron or nonstick) over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, smooth the top, and cook without stirring for 5-6 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottom is browned.
  7. Move the skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center is set and no longer jiggles.
  8. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 6 wedges. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Notes

  • Why it’s diabetes-friendly: It’s mostly eggs and leafy herbs, so a slice has about 4g of carbs and a good amount of protein. It’s a solid protein-first breakfast, and you can keep it in the fridge as a grab-and-go option for busy days.
  • Barberries: Traditional kuku often has dried barberries (zereshk) folded in. They’re tart but still a dried fruit, so I leave them out. A tablespoon spread across the whole kuku adds very little sugar per slice if you want them.
  • Fenugreek: Dried fenugreek leaves are sold as kasuri methi in Indian groceries. They give kuku its classic flavor, but a little goes a long way.
  • Serve it with Mast-o-Khiar and a Salad Shirazi, or wrap a slice in lettuce.
  • Keeps 4 days in the fridge.