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Kuku Sibzamini With Lemon Yogurt

Image may contain Plate Food Fritters Bread and Cutlet
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks

These traditional Persian-style potato patties are made with sibzamini—“apples of the earth,” a.k.a. potatoes. The patties’ scent and color comes from saffron, a staple in Persian cookery, which is ground into a powder to draw out intense color and flavor. Adding a bit of water to the powder makes the magic happen: A pool of intense vermillion forms, to be added to your eggs and potatoes. A combination of baking powder and baking soda lightens the batter as it cooks, making for fritters that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 16

Ingredients

Yogurt

1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Fritters and assembly

1½ lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes (3–4), scrubbed, halved
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 tsp. saffron threads
4 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
Lemon wedges (for serving)
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

  1. Yogurt

    Step 1

    Whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Chill lemon yogurt until ready to serve.

  2. Fritters and Assembly

    Step 2

    Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to cover by 2"; season water with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer potatoes until fork-tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes; transfer to a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher or fork.

    Step 3

    Using a mortar and pestle or a teacup and the back of a spoon, grind saffron to a powder. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in 1 Tbsp. warm water; let sit 1 minute. Whisk in eggs, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt until well combined. Gently stir egg mixture into potatoes to combine (the batter should be thick).

    Step 4

    Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches and adding more oil between batches if needed, drop batter in heaping tablespoonfuls into pan and flatten to 3" in diameter. Cook fritters until crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a paper towel–lined baking sheet; immediately season with salt.

    Step 5

    Transfer fritters to a platter; scatter dill over and arrange lemon wedges around. Top lemon yogurt with lemon zest and serve alongside.

TagsPersianMiddle EasternLemonCitrusFruitPotatoRoot VegetableVegetableFritterSideDinnerFryBon Appétit
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