Kuku Kadoo is an exquisite Iranian-style frittata with zucchini and piaz dagh(caramelized onions – a staple in every Persian recipe). If you have saffron available, it will elevate this recipe even more.
Recipe by Arousing Appetites, a food blog run by Cyrus Roepers and Heather Rodgers
Ingredients
- 5 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 large onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced (we personally love garlic and put more, but that’s just us)
- 4 small zucchini grated
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional, but Highly Recommended
- 2 threads saffron
- pinch of sea salt or any ground spice
- 2 tablespoon boiling water
Possible Garnishes
- 5 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Prep Work
- Pre-heat oven to 400°
- Crack eggs into mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly
Phase 1
- Place onions into skillet over high heat. Let onions begin to sweat (with or without a tablespoon of oil is at your discretion)
- As onions sweat and cook, gradually add oil over a course of 5-8 minutes
- As onions start to brown and piaz dagh is made, add ginger and garlic and turmeric. Cook on high heat for another minute
- Add grated zucchini and lower to medium-high heat. Cook until tender roughly 10-12 minutes
Optional: With 2-3 minutes remaining on the zucchini, add the saffron water (instruction below)
Phase 2
- Take zucchini and onion mixture off heat and add to beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly
- Add baking soda, salt, and pepper to egg mixture
- Pour mixture into casserole dish and place into oven. The kuku will be done in 25-30 minutes or until you see a solid golden brown top on the kuku
- Remove from oven and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley
- Saffron water
- Place strands of saffron into mortar and pestle with the pinch of salt or spices. Grind down.
- Place ground mixture into small bowl or ramekin with boiling water
- Let mixture sit for at least 5 minutes as saffron flavor opens up
Recipe Notes
1) Piaz dagh is a staple in any Persian dish… In fact I don’t know any recipe that doesn’t have piaz dagh. At its core, it’s caramelized and browned onions using oil. We prefer olive oil but also being judicious in how much oil is used. For a healthier approach, start by letting the onions cook alone before adding oil.
2) You will get a much more attractive outer crust if you preheat your casserole dish prior to pouring in the egg mixture. Before pouring the mixture in, put the dish in the preheated oven for ~5 minutes to warm it up. Lining the dish with olive oil also is very helpful.
