Everyone has been eating light and healthy. Lots and lots of fresh fruit, fresh fish and yogurt dishes for kids and for us - as usual - something on the grill, leftovers and quick-fix dinners. Remember when I told you how Persians use a lot of fresh herbs in their cooking and dishes (flashback to Pantry Inventory Blog)? Well, today's dish will involve lots of it! So get ready to clean, wash, dry and chop some fresh herbs today. This recipe is not hard to make, but it is definitely more involved than the previous ones. It is called "kookoo sabzi" and is one of the dishes that is traditionally made on Persian new year (Norouz) with fried white fish and herbed rice.
It is typically made on a pan over a stove; however, I made some changes and decided to simplify this by making it in the oven. This way, I don't have to babysit it over the stove and can just time it in the oven. I also decided to use a muffin pan for this to have individual ones. It will make a great appetizer platter or a brunch dish for your next party. Oh, I also changed the name to "Frittata" for the ease of understanding the recipe...
Mini Fresh Herb Frittata
Ingredients:
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of scallion - both white and green parts
1 bunch of cilantro
½ bunch of dill
1 large clove of garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon mustard seed
¼ cup barberries – cleaned and washed
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
8 eggs
cooking spray
Muffin pan
Makes 12 individual frittatas
Preheat oven at 350 degree. Wash all the herbs (with stems on) and dry them well using a salad spinner. On a large cutting board, using small batches, chop the herbs and set aside in a large bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the herbs. Finely chop the garlic and add to the bowl (you can use a garlic masher if you’d like). Add salt, pepper, turmeric, flour, baking powder and mustard seeds. Using your hands, mix the mixture well until well incorporated but don't over mix. Then add the barberries and the chopped walnuts. Fold into the mixture.
Mini Fresh Herb Frittata
I learned to add the mustard seeds from one of my aunts. She explained that mustard seeds will take the moisture out so that the batter will not get runny. I personally also like the texture of the mustard seeds in this dish. The barberries have a sour taste and add a great flavor to this dish.
Barberry is called Zereshk in Farsi. These berries are high in vitamin C and have a sharp tart flavor. They are sun-dried and used often in our cooking. Iran is also the largest producer of Zereshk in the world (next to Saffron). Zereshk and Saffron are produced on the same land and are harvested at the same time. I would think if one owns such a land has hit the jackpot and is set for life! You can purchase barberries either online or from the middle eastern grocery stores.This is how sun-dried Zereshk looks like:
Sun-dried Zereshk
And this is what the plant looks like:
Barberry Plant
This dish can be served for brunch, lunch, dinner or appetizer. It will also make a great sandwich. It is so tasty with the Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad (Feeling Ballsy blog) or any type of yogurt dish.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
