Andy Baraghani’s Grain Bowl with Cucumbers, Kimchi, Boiled Egg, and Chili Oil

Hey Wednesday friends,

My Lunch Therapy patient this week, Andy Baraghani, made a name for himself at Bon Appetit with his viral videos and approachable-yet-exciting recipes.

He’s now the author of a brand new cookbook, The Cook You Want to Be, which arrives on shelves April 26th.

In today’s session, we talk all about Andy’s sense of discipline and how it changed during the pandemic. We also cover his Iranian background, the different kinds of food his mother’s family made vs. his father’s family, his favorite cooking smell from childhood, his love for fancy restaurants as a kid, and how he started his career by just walking into Chez Panisse and asking for a job.

We also cover the recipe that he’s proudest of: his kuku sabzi, or Persian frittata.

You’ll find the full recipe below.

Enjoy the podcast above — listen for the brand new introduction! — and if you’d like to hear 10 fun rapid-fire questions with Andy, including his favorite movie theater snack, his favorite brand of olive oil, and his favorite breakfast cereal, sign up for the full Amateur Gourmet/Lunch Therapy experience below and get it in your inbox tomorrow.

Happy listening!

Your friend,

Adam

Andy Baraghani’s Kuku Sabzi

Originally published in Bon Appetit

Ingredients

8 servings

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped

• 5 large eggs

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1½ cups finely chopped cilantro

• 1½ cups finely chopped dill

• 1½ cups finely chopped parsley

• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a 10" skillet over medium. Cook onion and leek, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not brown, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipe out skillet; set aside.

Step 2

Whisk eggs, salt, baking powder, pepper, and turmeric in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix in onion mixture, cilantro, dill, parsley, and fenugreek. (Egg mixture should look thick and very green.)

Step 3

Heat broiler. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in reserved skillet over medium. Pour in egg mixture; spread evenly across pan with spatula. Cover and cook frittata until bottom is just set, 8–10 minutes. Uncover and broil, watching carefully, until top is set, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then slide out onto a platter.