Pistachio Kuku

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. In a food processor, coarsley grind sugar and V cup pistachios.

3. Break eggs into a bowl. Add milk, flour, baking powder, saffron water, salt, andpepper. Beat lightly with a fork.

4. Add the ground pistachio and sugar mixture and the remaining pistachio kernels to the egg mixture, and fold using a rubber spatula.

5. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in an 8-inch ovenproof baking dish in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Pour in the mixture and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until lightly golden on top and a tester comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and cover with a serving platter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes (this helps to unmold the kuku more easily). Loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto the serving platter. Tap the bottom of the baking dish, let sit for a minute, then gently unmold. You may also serve it directly from the baking dish. Garnish with pistachios, and dust with confectioners’ sugar and ground rose petals.

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Variation:

Stovetop-Style Kuku
—Kuku can also be cooked on top of the stove. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet (or frittata pan) over medium low heat until hot but not smoking. Pour in the mixture and cook, covered, until it has set (about 10 minutes). If you have a frittata pan, simply flip over and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until golden. If you do not have a frittata pan, instead of flipping, you can cook the top under a hot broiler for 1 minute until lightly golden.

Download a pdf file of this recipe for Pistachio Kuku from the new 25th Anniversary Edition of the cookbook Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies.