Potato, Green Bean and Tomato Frittata (Persian Kookoo)

This Potato, Green Bean and Tomato Frittata (Kookoo) is super delicious, colourful and full of flavour.

Kookoo is a traditional Persian dish, which is basically egg based and a mixture of different herbs and/or vegetables. Some kookoo recipes include nuts like walnuts and pulses like lentils too. This recipe is super versatile and can be enjoyed both warm and cold.

I often talk about how food is much more than nutrition and how its embedded with social, cultural, and symbolic values. With food, we make conversations, we connect and we make memories!

For me, this dish brings back lovely memories of our last visit to my home country, Iran, where we stayed at my grandmother's house. This dish was first introduced to me there, when my aunt cooked it for us during our stay and we enjoyed it together as a family. I fell in love with the recipe and decided to give the recipe a try myself. Now, this dish is not just about the recipe itself but symbolic of much more meaing, being the whole experience of my grandmother's house and making memories with family.

Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 2 cups of green beans, chopped into small pieces

• 1 small onion OR 2 bunches of spring onions, thinly sliced

• 2-3 large tomatoes, cubed

• 4 tbsp. of bread crumbs

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 tbsp. of saffron water

• 1 tsp turmeric

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 5 tbsp. of olive oil (not extra virgin)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Sauté onions (or spring onions) for a few minutes in a skillet on the stove on medium heat. Add cubed potatoes and cook until potatoes slightly soften . Add green beans cook for a few more minutes.

3. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil in glass dish and place in preheated oven until oil is hot (usually a few minutes is adequate).

4. In the meantime, add the mixture from the skillet into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

5. Pour the batter in glass dish with heated oil. Spread batter into an even layer with a silicone spatula. Bake for 30 minutes.

6. Allow frittata (kookoo) to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

7. Enjoy warm or cold!