I absolutely adore kukuye sabzi (also known as kookoo sabzi), an Iranian recipe for a soft, herb-filled omelette. This recipe is from Greg & Lucy Malouf’s Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food and is straightforward to make.
Read our review of Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food.
(Kuku-ye Sabzi) Soft Herb Omelette
Also commonly spelled Kookoo Sabzi.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons barberries, stems removed
- 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped dill sprigs
- 1/2 cup snipped chives
- 50 ml olive oil
- 6- free range eggs
- optional 2 tablespoons saffron liquid (a few strands of saffron soaked in a couple of tablespoons of boiling water)
- 1 tablespoon self-raising flour
- optional 1/3 cup fenugreek leaves or 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Notes
Note: we omitted the barberries, saffron liquid and fenugreek.
Note: The first time we made this (with halved amounts), we used a small frying pan, which was better suited to a smaller volume. The second time, we used a much larger pan, which resulted in a flatter finished omelette with raised sides, reminiscent of a Yorkshire pudding. Both tasted great and had a good texture, but the one made in the smaller pan was more in line with what the dish should look like.
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Soak the barberries in cold water for 2 minutes, then drain and dry. Toss the herbs together and use paper towel or a clean tea towel to pat out as much moisture as you can.
-
Pour the oil into a non-stick oven-proof frying pan and heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
-
Whisk the eggs and saffron liquid, if using, until frothy. Whisk in the flour, fenugreek, salt and pepper, followed by the herbs and barberries.
-
Pour the egg mixture into the hot oil. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until nearly set.
-
Remove the cover and cook for a further 15 minutes to brown the surface.
-
Cut into wedges and serve hot from the pan. Alternatively, drain on paper towel and cut into wedges when cold. Cold omelette is particularly good as a sandwich filling.
- This dish became a favourite of mine at (now closed) Aqua restaurant in North Finchley, so it’s great to have a simple, delicious recipe to make it at home.
If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote below.
New Middle Eastern Food by Greg & Lucy Malouf is published by Hardie Grant. With thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!