Name: Caspian-Style Fish Roe Kuku (Kuku-ye ashpal)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped; 6 tablespoons oil, butter, or ghee*; 4 eggs; 2 spring onions, chopped; ½ cup (40 g) chopped fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 4 ounces (115 g) salmon roe, membrane removed (cured salmon roe is the most readily available, but any other roe such as shad or sturgeon can be used); ½ teaspoon turmeric; 4 shallots, peeled and sliced

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
20 min

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

In the Caspian regions of Gilan and Mazandaran fish roe is called ashpal. In the West we know about the famous Iranian caviar, which is salted and cured, but we are less familiar with the roe of other fish, which is often eaten grilled or mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, and fried to make ashpal kuku. The most popular roe, besides caviar, is that of the Caspian white fish—kutum—and the wonderful Caspian salmon.