Kuku-ye Bademjun (Persian Eggplant Omelet)

I still had eggplants in my fridge from Farmer Kim. I needed to do something with them, I had held them for as long as I would ever want to. My husband wanted more Khoresh Bademjun, but we had already had it twice in 2 weeks, so I was determined to make something else. Time to try Kuku-ye Bademjun – Persian Eggplant Omelet. Fried eggplant, onions, saffron and eggs – how could I go wrong? The result…It was so very tasty!

Cam, of course, decided he did not want to eat what we were, he wanted “plain” eggs – aka cheesy scrambled eggs. But he also wanted to make them himself. Yay! Cam is back in the kitchen!

Kuku-ye Bademjun

3 – 4 small eggplants (from Farmer Kim)

4 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1 large onion, sliced

1/2 tsp saffron

Saffron oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare the saffron: grind the saffron with some salt in a mortar and pestel. Add a few spoons of hot water to dissolve the saffron.

Peel the eggplants and slice thinly. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant sweat for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and wipe dry with paper towels.

In a large nonstick skillet, add 1 Tbsp oil and fry the onions over medium heat until slightly golden. Remove to a plate with paper towels.

Add more oil to the skillet, to about 1/4” deep. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden browned. Drain on paper towels. Allow to cool.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the saffron and mix well.

Add the eggplants and onions, mix and adjust the seasoning.

Wipe out the pan, leaving a light coat of oil. Heat until hot. Pour in the mix, flatten the surface with the back of a spoon and cook over medium heat until it starts to set through, about 5 to 10 minutes.