Think of this as a Persian summer frittata — packed with kale, red pepper and potatoes, baked until set and served with a zingy pea-mint-feta dip — perfect hot or cold, and ideal for make-ahead meals.
A Persian-style summer frittata made with cooked kale, red onions, potatoes, and red pepper folded into eggs with aromatics and spices, then baked, sliced, and served with a fresh pea, mint, and feta dip.
This recipe is summer on a plate: light, simple and easy. I often make it the night before and keep it in the fridge — it’s delicious warm or cold and a brilliant way to sneak a big hit of veg into your day.
Kuku (also spelled “kookoo”) is an Iranian egg dish made by beating eggs and folding in vegetables or other ingredients. It’s similar to an Italian frittata or a French quiche — but with more vegetables — and can be served hot or cold as a starter, side or main, often accompanied by bread, yogurt, salad or rice.
The two best-known kuku variations are Kuku Sabzi (a herb kuku with barberries or walnuts) and Kuku Sibzamini (potato kuku). But really, kuku is adaptable — you can use whatever vegetables you like.
This particular kuku came about after an Oddbox delivery — Oddbox rescues surplus or “imperfect” fruit and veg that would otherwise be discarded, delivering it to homes by subscription. It’s a brilliant scheme that encourages me to cook more seasonally and reduces food waste, and it often forces me out of my recipe rut by supplying unexpected ingredients.
One delivery included kale and red peppers, which led me to experiment with kuku. Kale has become very popular in the UK for its health benefits; combined with red peppers, potatoes and red onions it makes an ideal filling. I use garlic, smoked paprika and a little chilli to give the kuku a smoky, gently warming edge — nice even when the dish is eaten cold.
Traditionally kuku is shallow-fried and flipped to brown both sides, but I prefer to bake mine in the oven — the recipe below is for baking, though you can fry if you prefer (either like an omelette or as fritters).
One of the joys of kuku is that you can make a batch ahead and rely on it for quick lunches during the week. It also works beautifully as part of a mezze spread or alongside antipasti. Here it’s paired with a bright pea, mint and feta dip to keep the overall plate fresh and summery.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course / Lunch
Cuisine: Persian / Iranian / Fusion
Keyword: kookoo, light lunch, mezze, frittata
Servings: 2 (to 4 people)
Author: Mersedeh Prewer
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more to grease your tin)
200 g potatoes, diced into 1 cm cubes
1 medium / large red onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, medium diced
75 g kale, leaves removed from stalks, washed and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée (dissolved in 100 ml water)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small red chilli, minced
6 large free-range eggs, cracked and beaten in a bowl
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups peas (frozen is fine — blanch before blending)
1 clove garlic
40 g feta
2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra to drizzle)
10 fresh mint leaves (plus extra to garnish)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) / 180°C (conventional) / Gas Mark 4.
Prepare a 20 cm round cake tin (preferably without a loose base unless gaps are very well sealed with baking paper). Grease and line the tin with baking paper, then place it in the oven to heat.
Heat a frying pan over medium–high heat and add the 2 tbsp of oil.
Add the diced potatoes and cook until they start to turn golden and slightly crisp.
Add the red pepper and onion and cook until softened.
Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika and minced chilli, mixing until evenly distributed.
Add the dissolved tomato purée (tomato purée + 100 ml water) to the pan.
Add the kale and cook until it wilts and the mixture has little or no excess liquid. Turn off the heat and let the vegetable mixture cool for about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the beaten eggs with the cooled vegetable mixture; stir well and season with salt and pepper.
Remove the hot lined tin from the oven and pour the kuku mixture into it. Return to the oven and bake for about 30–40 minutes, or until a skewer/knife inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is set.
While the kuku bakes, make the dip: blitz the peas, garlic, feta, olive oil and mint in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning and lemon if you like. Spoon into a serving bowl, scatter some finely chopped mint on top and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Serve the kuku warm or cold with the pea-mint-feta dip, flatbreads and other antipasti as part of a mezze-style meal.
