Kükü is the Azerbaijani cousin of the Persian kuku: a thick omelet in which the eggs exist mainly to hold together an enormous quantity of chopped fresh herbs. Cilantro, dill, spinach and spring onions turn it a deep forest green, and it is cooked slowly in butter until set and golden on both sides. It appears at breakfast, on the meze table and especially at Novruz, the spring new year, when fresh greens symbolize renewal.

Azerbaijani cooks use fresh herbs with a generosity that startles visitors; a plate of them arrives with almost every meal. Kükü is that generosity in a pan, and a fine thing to cut into wedges and pack for a long day at the Baku circuit.

The kükü

Ingredients

• 2 packed cups (about 2 large bunches) fresh cilantro
• 1 packed cup (1 large bunch) fresh dill
• 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach
• 6 spring onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup (35 g) walnuts
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter

The garlic yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 g) plain whole milk yogurt
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

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