My Big Fat Persian Kuku

Happy Valentines dear readers.  

I've made Persian Kuku many times before, for those of you unfamiliar with it - click on this link to learn more.   Kuku's are a Persian omelette and what I present to you is not exactly one - though it did start of originally as a Kuku .  I should have made it in a wide frying pan, but I wanted to get all fancy for Valentines day and made it in a silicone heart shaped mould.  

This Persian Kuku puffed up like a aerated blow up bed, then settled down quite calmly.  Once it was unmoulded, the top was a blanket of beetroot red.  

It looked fabulous and sliced wonderfully.  I have to say it tasted pretty marvellous too.  D loved it as it contained two of his favourite vegetables - beetroot and cauliflower.  I'd almost describe it as a cross between Spanish Tortilla and Frittata, but its neither - so I call it a big fat Persian Kuku.  or affectionately Chubby Kuku.

Beetroot Leaf Kookoo Kuku

I was first introduced to Kuku (pronounced KooKoo) by the lovely Celia Brooks in one of her vegetarian cookbooks.  KuKu is a type of Persian omelette traditionally made with soft herbs, walnuts and barberries with the addition of baking powder as a raising agent.  I don't like omelette's, never have something about the wobbly texture just doesn't agree with me.  But I do like frittatas and Spanish style tortillas; and Kuku is similar in that it is set and can be sliced into delicious slithers.

I don't have masses of fresh soft herbs in my garden at the moment, so used some fresh beetroot leaves.  Some of you will remember my Savoury Beetroot Loaf wrapped in Beetroot Leaves and beetroot leaf Pakoras aka Beetroot Bhaji's , but this time I wanted to do something else with them and was reminded of Kuku. 

The bloke at the Fruit Machine, a cool name for a grocery van in the High Street where I work, said the beetroot had only been harvested early that morning.  As a vegetable grower, I totally believe him, you could see the freshness of the leafy greens and the perky red lace stems.  

You can eat this whatever time of day you wish, but we had it for lunch when we went to Weston Super Mare at the weekend with a couple of  over-excited nephews.  I served slices of this Kuku in a pitta pocket.  I handed one over to my youngest of nephew, his response when I asked 'do you like it? ' (by the way, this is the same nephew who tried the vegan Cocoa cookies and declared it 'to cocoa!) .He wrinkled his little nose and said, so not to upset or offend me, 'it's okay'.  I smiled at him.  Beetroot Leaf is not to some grown up adult tastes, forget about teens.  He preferred the pasta salad. We though, liked the Beetroot Leaf Kuku and would certainly have it again. 

Savoury Beetroot Loaf Wrapped in Beetroot Leaves

Early this afternoon, I had decided to make some more Leafy Beetroot Bites as they were very moreish, however when I found myself in the kitchen staring at the beetroot and its leafy greens, I changed my mind and decided to make something else - a Savoury Beetroot Loaf wrapped in beetroot leaves - a bit of an experiment, shall I say. 

And I am pleased once again to report it worked out rather well.

After a taster bite - cooks treat, my first impression of this was very good.  I can only describe it as a healthy baked spicy fritter, but unlike those hand held morsels, these have to be eaten off a plate with a knife and fork. 

Then my thoughts turned to how was I to serve these, when the phone rant.  It was my brother telling me he was coming over to drop some homemade Pilau rice and minty yogurty sauce. How fortunate for me, as both these additions turned this mini beetroot loaf into a filling meal.

Its up to you if you wish to wrap them in the beetroot leaves, although it gives them a two-tone effect, I have to admit they can be a tad fiddly, so its up to you if you want to make them with or without.  As I mentioned earlier, I had the leaves still in tact, so wanted to find a way of using them, also noone can accuse me of wasting.  I can be a thrift soul when I put my mind to it.

You can easily make this recipe in a loaf tin, but as I do have mini loaf tins, I opted for individual portions. These can be served either warm or at room temperature.  I am linking this recipe to  June's edition of Simple and in Season, a monthly event created by Ren Behan at Fabulicious Food. This month it is being hosted by Laura at How to Cook. 
Savoury Beetroot Loaf Wrapped in Beetroot Leaves
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus extra for greasing loaf tin(s)
1 large onion, peeled and minced
200g - 250g raw beetroot, peeled and grated
1large potato, grated
1 - 1½ tablepoons garam masala
½ teaspoon cayenne or chilli powder
6 - 10 beetroot leaves, to line the loaf tin(s), any extra beetroot leaves should be shredded
100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Preheat the oven at gas mark 4/180oc.  First line the loaf tin or individual tins with greased baking parchment paper.  Then coat with additional oil. Now carefully arrange the beetroot leaves into the loaf tin, its okay if it overlaps.  Then evenly spoon out the beetroot mixture into the loaf tin or between the mini loaf tins.  Turn the overlapping beetroot leaves over, so they cover the filling.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes for mini loaves; or 45-50 minutes for the larger version.  Allow to cool, before turning out and serving. 

Leafy Beetroot Bites

I know in the very near future I will be harvesting my own homegrown beetroot, but right now I must say I am fortunate to find beetroot with its vibrant leaves still in tact.  This beetroot comes from just across the Welsh border.  Chances are if you are purchasing from a supermarket these will be lopped off.  A shame, as beetroot leafy tops are edible and full of beta carotene, calcium and iron, which is great in salads or cooked simply like Swiss chard or spinach. 

Early this afternoon, I went a a step further and decided to shred some of the leafy tops and add them to my beetroot batter for deep frying. 

These beetroot bites are a bit like pakoras aka bhajis made with potatoes and spinach, but these do not have much in the way of spices. Feel free to add cumin, coriander and chilli if you so wish. Today I just wanted to let the beetroot flavour shine here. And they were most welcome, dipped in soured cream as nibbles. 

I know its not Friday, but with the Queen's Jubilee, lots of families are getting together for the long weekend.  So I am sharing some of these deep red morsels with Family Friendly Fridays.    June's edition of Family Friendly Fridays is being hosted by Solange over at Pebble Soup on behalf of Ren over at Fabulicious Food.  This recipe is also linked to Just Another Meatless Monday hosted by What's for Dinner Mom? and Jill at Real Food Forager who is hosting Fat Tuesday 5th June 2012. 

Beetroot  Bites
You will need a deep fat fryer for this recipe
Ingredients
200g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
50 g beetroot leaves (or spinach), washed and finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
Optional: 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander (or parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste
100g gram flour
Method
Mix the beetroot, beetroot leaves, onion and herb together. Season, then mix in the gram flour to combine. Cover and refrigerate for  30 minutes to an hour.
Stir again, heat oil.  Drop a a few tablespoons of the beetroot batter into the oil and fry in batches until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.  Serve immediately.