My family is Assyrian from Iraq and Syria, rather than Iran. Our cuisines are quite different, but also have some key things in common. The thing I love about kuku sabzi is actually the same thing I love about Iraqi and Syrian food—herbs are used with stunning generosity.
Instead of sprinkling leafy herbs as a garnish or subtle flavoring, we treat them as a substantial ingredient. So if you look at my mom’s kebabs, my grandmother’s dolma, everyone’s favorite fattoush, or just about any good tabbouleh recipe, you’ll notice that herbs are a serious ingredient, not just a flavoring.
Easy-to-find ingredients
I’ve taken some liberties with this kuku sabzi to make it easier to make with ingredients that are easy to find in US supermarkets. If you’ve got barberries and garlic chives on hand, I highly recommend Persian Mama’s kuku sabzi.
Instead of barberries, I’ve called for golden raisins or sultanas. And instead of garlic chives, I’ve included more onion and garlic.
How to wash herbs for kuku sabzi
Washing Your Herbs
Grab a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Toss in your de-stemmed herbs and gently swish them around to loosen any dirt or grit. Push them to one side, pour off the dirty water, refill the bowl, and repeat the process a couple of times.
On your final rinse, skip the strainer—lift the herbs out with your hands to leave the grit behind. To dry, you can use a salad spinner or a towel.
If using a towel: loosely roll up the herbs, grab the ends, and shake the roll gently up and down to remove excess moisture (see video below).
Storing for later:
This recipe might leave you with some leftover herbs, so make sure you store them for later.
First, remove any bruised or wilted bits—they speed up spoilage. Then wrap the unchopped herbs in a clean, just-damp kitchen towel and tuck them into a sealed container or bag. (If your drying towel is soaked, wring it out well before reusing.)
When stored this way, some herbs can stay fresh for up to a week or more. Parsley is especially resilient, while softer herbs like mint and dill are more delicate—so it’s smart to store them separately if you plan to use them at different times.
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PrintKuku Sabzi (with easy-to-find ingredients)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini *
- salt
- olive oil
- 1/2 of 1 small/medium onion, small-diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 cup packed minced parsley
- 1/2 cup packed minced cilantro
- 1/4 cup packed minced dill
- 1/4 cup minced sultanas or golden raisins
- 1/4 cup slow roasted tomatoes (100% optional)
- 6 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Combine the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and let them sit together for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take handfuls of the zucchini and wring them out, discarding the liquid (you’ll end up with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup wrung-out zucchini).
- Place a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron 10-inch skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, followed by the onion, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until it’s softened and slightly golden around the edges. Add the garlic and baharat and cook stirring constantly for 1 more minute. Remove to a mixing bowl. Coat the skillet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and keep it over low heat for a couple minutes while you mix together the ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the wrung-out zucchini, cooked onion mixture, parsley, cilantro, dill, sultanas, tomatoes, eggs, and salt to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon). It will look like there is very little egg, and that’s ok.
- Preheat the broiler. Swirl the oil, and then pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet and increase the heat to medium. Cook without stirring for about 3 to 5 minutes on the stove, just until the bottom sets a bit, and it starts to smell a little toasty. Once the bottom is done, move it to the broiler and cook until the whole thing is set and golden brown on top (depending on your broiler, this could take between 30 seconds to 5 minutes).
Notes
* This is about 1/2 of 1 small zucchini.
I am persian and I was surprised when i saw some persian recipes here! Every city in iran has a variey of foods that i think you will definetly enjoy! I recommend you to make some of our foods like tahchin, gheymeh, halim bademjan,… and enjoy!
Ah, I wish I knew more about Persian food! Many of my Assyrian friends (and some of my cousins) are Assyrians from Iran, and their food is so wonderful. Always trying to include it more here, even though it’s not what I grew up with at home.
Thanks for sharing this such a yummy recipe..
This recipe reminds me of the ‘goyerti kyukyu’ that I enjoyed during a trip to Azerbaijan recently. In fact, I even replicated the recipe with available ingredients and shared it on my blog. Isn’t it fascinating the way food, traditions and cultures transcend boundaries. I’ll be trying your recipe at the earliest!
Oh wow, that’s wonderful! I can’t wait to go check it out and try it! 😀