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Vegan greens and herb frittata

You can use any leaves for this kuku. I used a total of 7 cups of greens - 4 cups kale and 3 cups of herbs. Four cups of kale sounds like a lot but it was from only 1/2 bunch of kale. You could eat this kuku with any sauce you have around. Yoghurt is a great option, chili oil or crisp works too. Leftover salad dressing would be lovely, as would a dollop of mayo or a squeeze of sriracha.

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A slice of vegetable and nut casserole topped with creamy sauce and chopped walnuts, served on a white plate.

Spend time and chop the kale and herbs as finely as you can (or use a food processor). It will give you a better final texture. Think of how you would chop parsley and mint for a tabbouleh, that’s how fine you want it. You can also use a food processor to do this job, in fact, your life will be much easier if you do. I doggedly chop by hand, I enjoy the moment of control, but don’t feel pressured to be a masochist like me.

Vegan Greens and Herb Frittata

Serves

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, any colour, sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
3 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 cups very finely chopped kale leaves
3 cups very finely chopped soft herbs such as parsley, mint, dill, coriander/cilantro or a mix
2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ to 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (to your liking)
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped, plus a few more for topping
Pomegranate molasses, for serving (optional)

Lemon Tahini

1/4 cup tahini
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Substitutions

Kale: spinach, chard/silverbeet
Ground turmeric: paprika, chili powder, spice mix such as harissa, ras el hanout
Walnuts: pistachios, almonds

Instructions

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Drizzle with olive oil and add the onion and leek, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until completely softened and starting to stick to the pan and caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Turn off heat.
Preheat oven to 180˚C / 350˚F. Prepare an 8-inch (20 cm) square or circular dish by lining it with baking paper or applying a non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, baking powder, turmeric, saffron (if using), season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper and whisk to combine. Add the vegetable stock and whisk well to combine, until mostly smooth and lump free. Fold in the onion and leek mix, kale, herbs and walnuts until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until slightly golden and firm on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the lemon tahini: place the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water into a bowl and whisk to combine. If the tahini seizes or is too thick, add a touch more water until it is smooth and pourable. Season well with salt and pepper.
To serve, cut the frittata into squares and top with the lemon tahini, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses (if using) and a final scatter of walnuts.