Kuku Sib Zamini
Persia's potato omelette: grated boiled potato folded with eggs, onion, turmeric and saffron, baked till just-set and gold.
Overview
Potatoes are boiled in their skins until tender (about 25 minutes); cooled slightly, peeled, grated on the coarse side. Onion is sautéed in oil with a pinch of turmeric until soft. Eggs are beaten with salt, pepper, saffron-water, baking powder and a tablespoon of flour. The grated potato and softened onion are folded through. The mixture is tipped into a buttered 24 cm round or square tin; baked at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until the top is gold and the centre is just set. Cooled slightly; cut into squares. Excellent with Greek yogurt or as part of a sabzi-khordan (Persian herb-and-cheese plate).
Ingredients
- 700 g waxy potatoes (about 4 medium - Charlotte, Yukon Gold or other waxy)
- 1 onion (large, finely diced)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil OR ghee
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 5 eggs (large, room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 large pinch saffron threads (soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives (or spring onion, chopped, optional)
To finish
- 30 g unsalted butter (for the tin)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (drizzle on top)
- Greek yogurt to serve
- Persian flatbread (sangak / barbari) or pita
Method
Stage 1 - Cook potatoes
- Place potatoes (skins on) in a pot of cold water; bring to a boil; cook 25 minutes until a knife slips in.
- Drain; cool 5 minutes; peel; grate on the coarse side of a box grater.
- The potatoes should still be slightly warm but not hot.
Stage 2 - Onion
- Heat oil or ghee in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Sauté onion 8 minutes until soft and just gold.
- Stir in turmeric; cook 30 seconds.
- Off heat; cool slightly.
Stage 3 - Egg mixture
- Beat eggs with baking powder, flour, saffron-water, salt, pepper and dried mint (if using) in a wide bowl.
Stage 4 - Combine
- Fold the grated potato and softened onion into the egg mixture.
- Add chopped chives if using.
Stage 5 - Bake
- Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Butter a 24 cm round or 22 cm square tin generously.
- Pour in the mixture; smooth the top.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is deep gold and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Stage 6 - Cool and cut
- Rest 10 minutes in the tin.
- Cut into 12 squares (or 6 wedges if round).
Stage 7 - Serve
- Plate warm with yogurt and bread.
- Or cool fully, refrigerate, and pack into bento boxes for a picnic. Excellent cold the next day on Persian flatbread with tomato slices.
Notes
- Coarse grate, slightly warm potato: Cold potato is too firm to grate into a fine texture; hot potato falls apart. Warm-but-not-hot is right.
- Saffron is the Persian signature: Even a small amount of saffron-water in the egg mix gives the dish its distinctive gold colour and faint floral aroma. Without it, you have a potato omelette, not a Persian kuku.
- Cool to room temp for sandwich use: The classic Tehran kuku sandwich is cold kuku slices on flatbread with sliced tomato, pickled cucumber and a smear of butter.
Storage
- Refrigerate 4 days; serves cold or warmed.
- Freezes 2 months in slices; defrost in fridge then warm or eat cold.
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