Kookoo Sabzi with Walnuts and Barberries

This is a variation of the traditional کوکو سبزی kookoo sabzi/kuku sabzi recipe that is served for Nowruz (Persian New Year) and throughout the year! For the traditional recipe please see the kookoo sabzi that I posted a while back. For a New Year's meal, my suggestion is to make the simple and basic kookoo that most of us grew up eating. A bite into a soft slice of aromatic fresh herbs with the right amount of seasoning that has been cooked to perfection, and you are home again at your mother's table! You may want to give this delicious recipe a try, along with the popular traditional recipe!

 This recipe is by far my favorite kookoo sabzi recipe other than the one my mother used to make. The addition of walnuts gives it a nutty flavor and a bit of a crunch to the dish whereas barberries (zereshk) add a refreshing sour zing that many of us love in Iranian cooking. I have cooked kookoo sabzi in many different ways, using different herbs and spices, changing the number of eggs or amount of vegetables, method of cooking, and stovetop vs. the oven. Sometimes, I would use a couple of tablespoons of crushed walnuts and barberries but this time I increased the amounts of both walnuts and barberries, added a few layers of lettuce, and only used parsley, cilantro and scallions (green parts only). The result is absolutely delicious!

Kookoo Sabzi with Walnuts and Barberries

Ingredients:
Serves 6-8

1 large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, remove the hard stems, wash and chop finely, makes about a cup
1 large bunch of fresh cilantro (geshniz), remove the hard stems, wash and chop finely, makes about a cup
1 large bunch of fresh scallions - green parts only (piazcheh) or chives, makes about a cup, use tareh instead if you can find it in your area
3-4 layers of fresh lettuce, finely chopped (I used inner layers of the iceberg)
1 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup of barberries, soak in water for 10-15 minutes and rinse a few times to get rid of dust and dirt
5-6 large eggs, break in a separate bowl, beat vigorously before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
Butter, 1 tablespoon or as needed to coat the bottom and the sides of the pan
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Generously butter the bottom and the inside of  your ovenproof dish
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the finely chopped vegetables, ground walnuts, barberries, olive oil, flour, turmeric, salt, pepper and mix well. Pour the well-beaten egg over the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly until everything is well coated.
4. Pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish and place in the middle rack of the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for 40-50 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Place the slices on a platter and serve with bread, yogurt, and pickles.

 

Enjoy!