This Instant Pot Kuku sabzi (or kookoo sabzi) is an aromatic crustless quiche filled with different herbs and greens. It’s a staple dish to celebrate the first day of Spring and the Persian New Year (Nowruz). You can make it on the stove top, in the oven or in the instant pot pressure cooker.
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March means the first day of spring is almost upon us, March 20th. And that day is also the Persian new year, Nowruz (or norouz/noruz). It is a beautiful holiday celebrated in the Iran for thousands of years, no matter what religion you are.
There are traditional meals we served for nowruz. Everything on the menu, like the Persian new year itself, is filled with symbolism. The main course is Sabzi Polo, herb rice with fish.
Ash Reshteh, a thick soup with beans, herbs and noodles, is also served. Another symbolic dish served during noruz is kuku sabzi. It is believed that eating kuku sabzi will bring prosperity and happiness in the year to come. And of course all of the green herbs symbolize the rebirth of nature during spring.
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Why this recipe works
- Healthy: This dish is naturally gluten free, dairy free and keto friendly! It is packed with flavor and nutrition from the herbs and greens.
- Meal prep: You don’t need a holiday to make this dish! Add a slice with a salad and you have a healthy, light meal.
- Texture: Persian kuku is like a frittata, but with less eggs and no dairy. It is not as light and fluffy like a quiche, but it always baked with a vegetable. This version includes lots and lots fresh herbs and green vegetables.
- Flavor: This kuku is full of flavor from all of the herbs in it. The dried barberries (zereshk) add touches of sweet and sour in every bite while the walnuts add a little crunch.
- Pressure Cooker: In all honesty, there isn’t much time saved in cooking this kookoo in the pressure cooker versus baking in the oven. But for those of you who have limited kitchen space and like to cook in your pressure cooker, this recipe is for you!
Ingredients you need
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- Saffron in hot water: Crush some saffron in a mortar and pestle and let it steep in hot water while you collect and prepare the other ingredients. The longer it steeps, the deeper the color and aroma.
- Green onions: You can use fresh green onions or a leek.
- Fresh herbs: I choose to use fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro and dill. Some Persians choose to use dried herbs. Sometimes I add in spinach or kale in my kuku for nutrtion.
- Fenugreek: I cannot find fresh fenugreek so I always use dried.
- Walnuts: Walnuts are the preferred nut to use, but you can substitute with pecans.
- Zereshk (dried barberries): If you cannot find zereshk then use dried cranberries.
- Eggs: You can’t have kookoo without eggs! In this recipe, I use 6 large eggs. If you want a more traditional version, use 4 eggs and reduce the baking powder to ½ teaspoon.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, baking powder.
Special equipment needed
First, you will need a casserole pot, baking dish or springform pan that will fit inside your instant pot. My instant pot is 6-quart size, so I needed a 7-inch round dish. This 7-inch springform pan leaked horribly so I used a 7-inch casserole dish.
Secondly, you will need one of those an instant pot sling so you don’t burn your fingers when when trying to remove the quiche. You can also make one out of aluminum foil, but what a waste if you just throw it away when you are done.
Step-by-step directions
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- Bloom the saffron. Grind saffron in a mortar and pestle then add hot water and let it steep.
- Prep the greens. Chop the green onions, parsley, cilantro and dill.
- Sauté the herbs. Heat your instant pot to sauté. Add olive oil then sauté the chopped herbs.
- Remove the greens.. Rinse out and clean inside of instant pot. Stir in dried fenugreek and cook until herbs are dark green. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
- Combine the kuku mix. When herbs are cool, stir in walnuts, zereshk, salt, pepper and baking powder. Whisk together eggs and stir in with the herb mixture.
- Transfer to a pan. Lightly oil your 7-inch bowl and pour kuku mixture into it. Add water into your instant pot and place you bowl into the water using a pot sling.
- Cook til done. Close and lock the lid, set the steam valve to seal. Cook per directions listed below.
Recipe tips and FAQs
You can serve kookoo alone or with mast o khiar (yogurt with cucumbers), lavash, radishes and/or cucumbers. Besides serving it at a Persian New Year feast, you can serve kuku for breakfast, lunch or even an appetizer.
For more Persian recipes using time saving small appliances try these recipes:
- Instant Pot Ghormeh Sabzi
- Instant Pot Ash Reshteh
- Instant Pot Abgoosht
- Instant Pot Khoresh Gheymeh
- Air Fryer Kebab Koobideh
- Air Fryer Turkey Kotlet
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover kuku in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months. You can also freeze individual slices of your crustless quiche. You can also wrap each slice tightly in foil and freeze.
Kuku, or kookoo, is a Persian egg dish. Similar to a frittata or a crustless quiche, the base is eggs mixed in with some vegetables. But unlike a frittata or quiche, it does not have milk, cream or cheese. It can be cooked in a pan, baked in the oven or even prepared in a pressure cooker.
Kuku sabzi is traditionally served for the nowruz dinner. But this aromatic crustless quiche also makes a wonderful light meal. Serve it with a small salad, some yogurt, even flat bread with feta cheese.
Instant Pot Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Quiche)
Ingredients
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 2 tablespoon hot water
- 6 green onions or 1 leek
- 2 cups chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped dill
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup zereshk dried barberries
- 6 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads until powdered (about ⅛ teaspoon).
- Add the hot water and swish it around. Let saffron steep in the hot water and set aside.
- Chop the green onions and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add chopped parsley, cilantro and dill to the bowl.
- Heat your instant pot to sauté. When pot is hot, add olive oil. Add chopped herbs and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in dried fenugreek and continue cooking until herbs are dark green and cooked through, about minutes.
- Transfer herbs to a mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Rinse out and clean inside of instant pot.
- When herbs are cool, stir in walnuts, zereshk, salt, pepper and baking powder.
- Whisk together eggs and stir in with the herb mixture.
- Lightly oil a 7 x 3-inch cake pan or bowl. This bowl needs to fit inside your instant pot. Pour herb mixture into prepared pan/bowl.
- Pour 1 ½ cups water into your instant pot. Put your pan/bowl in your instant pot's sling/rack and gently place inside the instant pot with the water.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam valve is set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes with 10 minute natural release. Release any remaining steam and slowly unlock and remove the lid.
- Using the sling handles, gentle lift the pan out and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Can you tell us how to bake this in an oven? It looks wonderful.
Hi Pamela,
I have the recipe/directions to make this on the stove or oven here: https://familyspice.com/the-persian-new-year-and-kookoo-yeh-sabzi/
Laura
I’ve not heard of this dish, but it sounds excellent. The whole idea of crust-less quiches is always interesting to me — even though I make a decent pie dough, it’s the pie (or quiche) filling that’s interesting to me, not the base. I’ve yet to jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon — I’m more the slow cooker type. But maybe one of these days. 🙂