Kookoo Khorfeh - Purslane Kookoo

Every year from mid-spring to late summer, I eagerly await the appearance of dark-green خرفه (purslane) sprouts in my backyard, peeking through the vegetable garden, flower borders, and even the cracks between the cement. Often under-appreciated and overlooked, purslane has always been one of my favorites.  A handful of fresh succulent leaves can elevate almost any dish, adding a slightly tart and peppery flavor. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, and many other nutrients, purslane is as nourishing as it is flavorful. 

Purslane (portulaca oleracea) has been labeled as a garden weed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and I gave up looking for it in stores long ago. In Iran, and in many other countries, khorfeh (purslane) happens to be a popular summer green. I'm always looking for different ways to prepare it, but with the little purslane I manage to gather, I can't get too creative! I usually add it to salad shirazi, mast o khiar, sabzi khordan, and even fruit salads. Tokhm-e khorfeh, purslane's black seeds, are used in Iranian baking and sprinkled over naan berenji and shirini keshmeshi for extra flavor.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I was delighted to find rows of purslane nicely stacked on the shelf, imported all the way from Mexico! I bought a few bunches and then decided to make کوکوخرفه kookoo khorfeh - purslane kookoo with parsley, chives, and caramelized onion.

Now that summer is almost behind us, only a few purslane plants are remaining in the garden, and I wanted to share this recipe before the season officially ends. I usually find it much easier to bake kookoo sabzi in the oven rather than cook it on the stovetop; it's simpler and doesn't require flipping the wedges halfway through. For this recipe, though, I chose to make it the traditional way on the stovetop, just as my mother used to cook almost all her dishes. I know many of you like to add a bit of baking powder to your kookoo for a lighter texture, dishes, so feel free to mix in about a teaspoon if you prefer.

Kookoo Khorfeh - Purslane Kookoo

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-2 bunches of purslane (about 2 cups chopped), use the leaves and the thin part of the stems, discarding the thicker ends
-1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley ( about 1 cup chopped)
-1 bunch fresh tareh (chives) or scallions (green parts only) (about 1 cup chopped)
-6 large eggs, beaten
-1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
-1 tablespoon finely diced walnuts (optional)
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric

-1/2 teaspoon paprika 

-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-A pinch of red pepper 
-Vegetable oil or olive oil for frying

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion slices until translucent, then add the turmeric and stir. Reduce the heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped purslane, parsley, chives, caramelized onion, walnuts, eggs, paprika, red pepper, and season with salt and black pepper. Mix until well blended.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, and spread evenly. Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Cut the kookoo into 8 wedges, turning each piece carefully halfway through cooking with a fork and spatula. You can also slice the kookoo after it is fully cooked. 

Serve warm or at room temperature with mast o khiar, salad shirazi, torshi, and warm bread.

Enjoy!

Mast-o-Khorfeh - Yogurt with Purslane

ماست وخرفه/ بورانی خرفه Mast o Khorfeh Yogurt with Purslane is healthy and very helpful to beat the summer heat. There's nothing more refreshing and satisfying than a cool cup of yogurt mixed in with coarsely chopped fresh purslane picked right from your own garden. I've never planted purslane since they grow on their own and are actually considered weeds. I used to pull them out and discard them, until one summer when my mother came to visit us at our new home, and she had discovered purslane in the vegetable garden. I knew they looked familiar from back home, but since I didn't plant them in my garden, I was hesitant to eat them. But when my mother handed me a bunch of purslane and said to make a mast-o-khorfeh for lunch, I made it and loved the taste and the texture of it. That summer, we got to have purslane with yogurt, mixed in with salads or simply added to the vegetable platter (sabzi khordan).

Ever since then, I look for them in our garden during the summer, and we don't use any pesticides in order to try and grow everything healthy and safe for consumption. However, it seems that more and more people are discovering the health benefits and the nutritional values of purslane. They are known as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, vitamin C, and E.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

-2 cups plain yogurt
-A handful of purslane, pull the leaves off the stems, wash and drain, coarsely chopped if the leaves are big
-1/2 teaspoon dried mint
-Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well.
2. Transfer into a serving bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.

Serve cold with warm bread.

Variation:  Purslane may be added to Yogurt and Cucumber (Mast-o-Khiar), Salad Shirazi, and the platter of Sabzi Khordan.

Enjoy!