Kuku Iranian Saffron Omelette
Thursday, 4 September 2008 by Dr Maytel
Well now that the Olympics are over people will no doubt be talking about the London ones in four years time. It seems a long way off and a bit premature to be pondering upon, but it seems the London Olympics is already causing the destruction and disruption of local ways of life and cooking in ye olde London town.
This recipe is from a book about the food from inner city allotment gardens which were cultivated by many different ethnic groups but have now been bulldozed to make way for Olympic infrastructure, Moro East. It was a birthday present I received this year and I have been trying a number of the recipes. But I liked this one in particular. It is rich and buttery but not overly so, combining eggs, eggplant, spinach with the earthy musky flavour of saffron and spiked with currents and fresh herbs and nuts. I served it with a pearl barley tabouleh. I felt exotic.
Recipe Kuku Iranian Saffron Omelette
Feeling: Exotic
Taste: Buttery/ Nutty
Whole large eggplant diced (lightly salted for 15 mins then rinsed)
Large bunch of spinach, fresh or frozen (they say fresh)
6 - 8 beaten eggs
Mint - bunch chopped
Dill - bunch chopped
Current or dried fruit (I used craisins) - 2 big handful
Pine nuts - big handful
spring onion bunch
big pinch saffron
Butter - knob
Olive Oil - gulp
Heat large skillet basted with olive oil with deep sides in the oven. Dice eggplant and sprinkle with salt and leave for a while to remove bitterness and then rinse and sautee in butter with spring onions and then add spinach until it has wilted. Mix with herbs with one handful of currents, pinenuts and the rest of the ingredients. Salt and Pepper. Place saffron in small amount of warm water to release colour and add. When your ready to make the omelette, stir in the egg and then pour the whole mixture into the heated skillet. Cook for around 20 mins or until firmish...it's nice if it's not too firm. Sprinkle with more currents and dill and serve.
This recipe is from a book about the food from inner city allotment gardens which were cultivated by many different ethnic groups but have now been bulldozed to make way for Olympic infrastructure, Moro East. It was a birthday present I received this year and I have been trying a number of the recipes. But I liked this one in particular. It is rich and buttery but not overly so, combining eggs, eggplant, spinach with the earthy musky flavour of saffron and spiked with currents and fresh herbs and nuts. I served it with a pearl barley tabouleh. I felt exotic.
Recipe Kuku Iranian Saffron Omelette
Feeling: Exotic
Taste: Buttery/ Nutty
Whole large eggplant diced (lightly salted for 15 mins then rinsed)
Large bunch of spinach, fresh or frozen (they say fresh)
6 - 8 beaten eggs
Mint - bunch chopped
Dill - bunch chopped
Current or dried fruit (I used craisins) - 2 big handful
Pine nuts - big handful
spring onion bunch
big pinch saffron
Butter - knob
Olive Oil - gulp
Heat large skillet basted with olive oil with deep sides in the oven. Dice eggplant and sprinkle with salt and leave for a while to remove bitterness and then rinse and sautee in butter with spring onions and then add spinach until it has wilted. Mix with herbs with one handful of currents, pinenuts and the rest of the ingredients. Salt and Pepper. Place saffron in small amount of warm water to release colour and add. When your ready to make the omelette, stir in the egg and then pour the whole mixture into the heated skillet. Cook for around 20 mins or until firmish...it's nice if it's not too firm. Sprinkle with more currents and dill and serve.
