June 07, 2010

KooKoo Bademjan - Eggplant Kookoo


How often are you asked, "What's for dinner?" or as they say in Persian, شام چی داریم؟  "Sham chi darim?" My guess is that this must be the most frequently asked question since the beginning of time or perhaps since the discovery of fire! If confronted by the question, especially on a day that you weren't thinking about bringing out the pots and pans from their nicely tucked away shelf, then you may decide to go out to dinner, order take out, serve cheese and bread, go to bed hungry or try to cook an
easy yet scrumptious dinner with ingredients you already have in your pantry and refrigerator.

In a time like this, eggplants come in handy. They are so versatile. You can fry, grill, roast and pickle.They come through when you need them and never disappoint. The great thing about کوکو بادمجان eggplant kookoo, besides its wonderful taste, is that it doesn't absorb a ton of oil. Grilled eggplant kookoo with leeks and sliced tomatoes as toppings is the sixth kookoo/kuku recipe that I'm posting so I suppose it is obvious by now that I am a big fan of kookoo.


Kookoo Bademjan - Eggplant Kookoo

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

5 medium-size eggplants, washed and wiped
1 large leek, washed, trimmed, thinly sliced into rounds (white and light green parts)
1 medium onion, peeled, thinly sliced
1 bunch of parsley, washed, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves minced
3 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 teaspoon red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons walnuts,chopped *optional
2-3 small tomatoes, washed, sliced *optional

Method:

  1. Pierce the eggplants with a fork or a sharp knife in several places.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the eggplants for 30-40 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and place in the colander to let the eggplant's bitter liquid out.
  4. Once the eggplants are cooled, separate the skin and chop them and set aside.
  5. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions until golden brown.
  6. Add turmeric, stir, add garlic, saute for 2-3 more minutes and add the sliced leeks. Saute for an additional 5 more minutes or until the leeks are soft and tender. Sprinkle a dash of salt and add the walnuts and the chopped parsley. Give it a good stir and set aside.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggplants, leek and parsley mixture, egg, red pepper, flour and salt. Mix thoroughly.
  8. Lightly grease the bottom of the baking pan. Pour in the mixture and flatten the surface. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
  10. You may put the kookoo under the broiler for an additional 4-5 minutes or slightly longer to roast the top until it is well-cooked.
Serve on a platter, warm or cold, with warm bread and yogurt. Serve them as a tasty side or a splendid main dish.

Enjoy!

***


It doesn't matter where I am.
The sky is always mine.
Windows, ideas, air, love,
earth, all mine.
Why does it matter if sometimes
the mushrooms of nostalgia grow?

~Poem by Sohrab Sepehri
~Translated by: Mahvash Shahegh

15 comments:

  1. I adore aubergine/eggplant! Lovely kookoo!

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  2. mmm, i love how you add leeks, Azita Joon- i have never used those in a kuku bademjan- i shall try your method. this truly is the one phrase which is used in every household around the world. x shayma

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  3. This dish looks amazing - I love eggplant. I see a run to the market real soon!

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  4. This eggplant dish sounds wonderful, I love the tomatoes on top too!

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  5. Oh! This eggplant dish looks fabulous...so tasty and pretty :-)

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  6. Completely agree on using what we have in our pantry and refrigerator. We made the same thing and made another eggplant dish some time ago. Eggplants are always life saver as there are various dishes we can make from them. This one sounds so intriguing for me. I love anything with eggplants, but never combined it with leek. I will definitely try this kookoo.

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  7. oh this looks so so good thanks for coming on my hols with me love Rebecca

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  8. What a delicious recipe...I was thinking to make Kuku Sabzi tomorrow, but now I might make your recipe!!! Thanks!!!

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  9. Your kookoo looks so beautiful! I tried making kookoos before but never with eggplant. I love yours espe because you added tomatoes.

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  10. I am a serious eggplant lover and this dish looks like it would hit my every eggplant craving!

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  11. 'What's for dinner', really.. a daily fight for my mother, and a daily challenge for me too. Life is made so much easier by having many wonderful blogs helping with the choice.

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  12. What a beautiful, healthful, and I'm sure tasty take on kookoo. Love the tomato topping. Well done, Azita!

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  13. This is like frittata but I love the eggplant so uniquely used here. We love eggplants and this is a lovely new kind of recipe.

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  14. ooooooooooh yumm, looks delish ,must give it a try, Am still plannin to try your green bean dish you made like this

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  15. I don't know why, but I've been craving this lately.
    And yours is just so pretty with the tomato slices on top.
    Merci, Azita! xo

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