Kuku kadu halva-ee
Butternut squash and walnut kuku patties
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized butternut squash (about 4 cups), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 cup rice flour, or more as needed
- 2 tablespoons whole milk yogurt, Greek or Labneh
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Place the cut butternut squash in a medium sized pan, add 2 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 15 minutes.
- The butternut squash should be softened but still have some texture. Drain and set aside.
- In a frying pan, saute the onions with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 15 minutes over medium flame until golden brown.
- Add salt, pepper and the remainder of the spices and stir for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a food processor, combine the squash, walnuts, onions, rice flour and yogurt and process until you have a creamy mixture.
- Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs have been well integrated into the squash mixture.
- Assess the consistency of the batter and add more rice flour as needed. The batter should not be runny like a pancake, instead should feel thick and sticky to so that you would need an ice cream scoop to form them into a patty.
- Heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, pull out enough dough to place in the frying pan. Gently press on the batter to flatten and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on one side before flipping them over. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Both sides should have turned golden brown.
- Serve kuku with steamed basmati rice or a variety of Persian flat breads accompanied by fresh herbs or Shirazi salad (see notes).
Notes
Shirazi salad is a traditional and famous Persian salad the combines cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions or red onions with an olive oil, lime juice and fresh mint dressing.
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