Kuku Sibzamini

Ingredients

• 1¾ lbpotatofloury, boiled and mashed (or grated raw and squeezed)
• 3Eggsbinds the mixture
• 1onionfinely diced; alternatively 3–4 scallions, sliced
• 2 tbspflourwork in spoon by spoon until the mixture holds its shape
• ¼ cupoilfor frying; olive oil also works
• ½ tspturmericground
• 1 tspsalt
• ½ tspblack pepperground
• 2 tspsaffronground and steeped in warm water (optional)
• 2 tspMint (optional)
• dillto taste (optional)
• ½ tspcuminground (optional)
• 1 pinchBaking sodalightens the egg mixture (optional)

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins, or bake them in the oven, until completely tender. Peel them while still warm, mash them thoroughly and let them cool a little.
2. Finely dice the onion, or slice the scallions thinly instead, and add to the potatoes.
3. Add the eggs, salt, black pepper and turmeric to the potato mixture. If you like, add the saffron steeped in warm water, the dried mint, dried dill or cumin, and mix everything together evenly.
4. Work in the flour a spoonful at a time until the mixture can be shaped. It should hold together without becoming doughy, so check after each spoonful.
5. Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
6. Shape the mixture into flat cakes and lay them in the pan in batches, leaving room between them. Fry for 3–5 minutes per side, until golden and crisp, then turn them carefully.
7. Drain the finished cakes on paper towels and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips and variations

Instead of individual cakes, you can spread the mixture in the pan as one large round: once the underside has browned, cut it into pieces and turn them, or skip the turning and finish the kuku in the oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for 10–12 minutes. For a different version, coarsely grate the raw potatoes, squeeze them well, fry them with scallions, pour beaten eggs over the top and let them set under a lid. The seasoning is worth varying, too: saffron with dried mint, dried dill, or cumin with a pinch of baking soda to lighten the egg mixture, in which case leave out the flour entirely. Once cooled, the cakes pack well, which makes them good for a picnic or for the next day.