Persian zucchini frittata (Kuku Kadoo), the best and easiest baked omelette filled with zucchini, delicious spices and herbs. It is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So tender and custard like. Low calorie, low carb and with high quality protein.
Persian Zucchini Frittata
You’ve got to try this one. Its like eating a vegetable custard. So tender and with crispy golden edges. It is a frittata, but with a complex yet mellow flavor from the addition of spices.
Persian kuku (frittata) is so easy and quick to prepare and works well for any meal of the day. It combines the high quality egg protein with a load of veggies.
Apart from saffron and Persian spice blend (advieh), kuku has turmeric. The spice which thunders in the nutrition halls of fame! Having grown up in India, I could sing the praises of turmeric all day long, but I will reserve it for another time.
Suffice it to say that, curcumin, the active substance in turmeric has been found to have health benefits for heart health, cancer prevention, brain health, inflammatory bowl diseases, diabetes and more.
Looking for more squash or egg recipes. You may like these:
- Persian Mushroom Frittata with Spinach and Red Peppers
- Spinach Egg Stuffed Mushrooms
- Shakshuka (Eggs in Tomato Sauce)
- Tahini Creamed Yellow Squash with Caramelized Shallots
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Coconut, Cumin and Ginger
Is Zucchini Healthy?
So now we will move on to the star of the show – Zucchini! It is a member of the cucurbitaceae family along with pumpkins, cucumbers and gourds.
Zucchini is low in calories and carbohydrates. And high in free radical fighting nutrients such as vitamin C and manganese. This vegetable is also rich in B vitamins, that participate in energy metabolism.
Then it is good for eye health as it is a good source of the carotenoids – lutein and zeaxanthin. It is rich in potassium, the nutrient that balances sodium levels and regulates blood pressure – which makes it very heart healthy. And is a good source of dietary fiber.
Zucchini has a high percentage of water, so it makes a filling and satisfying dish. That is so good for maintaining a healthy body weight with a nutrient dense food. And it is easy to digest too.
Tips and Tricks: How to Make Zucchini Frittata
- Lot of the antioxidant potential of zucchini is in the skin. So, don’t peel it away. Use organic zucchini and scrub it nicely with a vegetable brush.
- While cooking the zucchini, some juices are released. Be sure to drain the juices very well before adding to the whisked eggs.
- You could add some feta or goat cheese if you prefer.
- Bake the frittata at a low temperature.
- May substitute the Persian spice blend (advieh) with a ‘mild’ middle-eastern or eastern Mediterranean spice blend.
- Traditional Persian zucchini frittata (kuku kadoo) recipes use a pat of butter on the top, but olive oil works well too.
I hope that you enjoy making and eating this golden colored Persian zucchini frittata and give an anti-inflammatory boost to your meal.
Photography above: bijansviewfinder.com
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Persian Zucchini Frittata (Kuku Kadoo)
Ingredients
- 1½ lb zucchini sliced
- 1 onion large, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic large, grated
- 2½ tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp butter (grass fed) or olive oil
- 6 eggs large
- 1/3 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper ground
- 1½ tsp advieh Persian spice mix*
- 1/3 tsp saffron ground, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1½ tbsp rice flour or all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp green onions or chives, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 10 inch iron skillet. Sauté onions until light golden. Then stir the garlic.
- Next add the zucchini and sauté until soft.
- Drain any juices and transfer the sautéed zucchini to another bowl.
- Then beat the eggs very well. In a separate bowl mix the salt, pepper, advieh spice mix, saffron, turmeric, flour and baking powder.
- First, add a third of the whisked eggs into the spice-flour mixture and mix very well. Pour the remaining whisked eggs and stir.
- Then add the sautéed vegetables to the eggs and combine. Adjust the seasoning as per taste.
- Heat the remaining oil in the iron skillet. Then pour the egg-vegetable mixture and bake it uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and spread 1/2 to 1 tbsp butter or olive oil and sprinkle the chopped green onions or chives.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until it turns golden brown on the top. If needed, may broil the top for a minute or so.
- Run a knife around the baked zucchini omelette to loosen it from the pan and cut it into wedges.
- This Persian zucchini frittata may be served with bread and yogurt if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Persian spice mix (Advieh) recipe is on the blog. Ready made advieh is available at Persian or middle eastern grocery stores or online.
- May use a middle eastern or Mediterranean mixed spice as a substitute.
- The Zucchini kuku is gluten free when using rice flour and not the alternative option (all purpose flour).
- Check the blog post for more tips.
Tina
Which kind of Advieh should I use? The link has several different kinds of recipes in it! https://www.thedeliciouscrescent.com/advieh-persian-spice-mix/
Roxana Begum
Sorry for the delay in my response. Was away from my blog work. You can use the one I recommend for multipurpose use – the recipe for advieh for stews (khoresht).