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Kuku bademjan
Aubergine and walnut egg cake
کوکو بادمجان (kuku bademjan): smoky aubergine, walnut and saffron egg cake
Kuku bademjan is the picnic kuku of Iran, packed into lavash for Sizdah Bedar, the thirteenth day of Nowruz, when families eat outdoors in parks from Tehran to Shiraz. Charred, smoky aubergine is mashed with garlic, saffron and chopped walnuts, bound with eggs and cooked into a thick, soft-set cake that tastes deep and slightly sweet. Serve it warm or cold with yogurt, bread and herbs. The mistake people make is leaving the aubergine wet; squeeze the cooked flesh in a sieve or the kuku will never set firm. Contains egg and walnuts. Chef's tip: cook the finished mixture in a well-oiled pan with the lid on, then slide it onto a plate and flip it back for the second side, so it browns evenly without drying out.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 auberginesabout 750 g
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp saffron threadsground and steeped in 2 tbsp hot water
- 5 eggslarge
- 1 ¾ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 ½ oz plain yogurt (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Char 3 aubergines directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning, until the skins are black all over and the flesh collapses when pressed.
20 minStep 2: Leave them to cool a little, then peel off the skins, put the flesh in a sieve and press out the bitter juices. Chop it finely.
5 minStep 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until golden. Add 3 cloves garlic and ½ tsp ground turmeric for the last minute.
8 minStep 4: In a bowl, beat 5 eggs with ¼ tsp saffron threads, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Mix in the aubergine, the onion and 1 ¾ oz walnuts.
3 minStep 5: Heat the rest of 3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil in a 24 cm non-stick pan over a medium-low heat. Pour in the mixture, smooth the top, cover and cook until the edges are set and the base is brown when lifted.
12 minStep 6: Cut into quarters and turn each piece over (or slide onto a plate and flip back). Cook uncovered until the middle feels firm and springy when pressed.
8 minStep 7: Serve warm or at room temperature with 5 ½ oz plain yogurt.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuku bademjan take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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