Yasmin Khan's recipes for aubergine kuku and fruit and nut granola bars

The Guardian

11-07-2025

I am obsessed with these sweet treats: soft, sticky, packed with dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and sweetened with banana and honey, these irresistible granola bars are perfect for when you're craving something sweet but still want something relatively healthy; they also work well as a light breakfast with a mug of hot tea or coffee. Kuku, meanwhile, is one of the bedrocks of Iranian cuisine, and is the Persian word for these dense, filled frittatas that are often served as a sandwich filling with sliced tomato and crunchy, salty pickles.
These keep in an airtight container for about three days, and tend to go softer and chewier after 24 hours, so they are great for making ahead. I use a 16cm-square baking tin.
Prep 5 min
Cook 45 min
Makes 6-8 bars
175g jumbo rolled oats
125g dried apricots, roughly chopped50g pistachios1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp milled flax seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt
75g coconut oil, or butter65g soft dark brown sugar60g tahini3 tbsp honey, or maple syrup
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed1 tsp vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and line a small baking tin with greaseproof paper. Mix the oats, apricots, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on a low heat, then stir in the brown sugar until that, too, melts. Take off the heat and stir in the tahini, honey, mashed banana and vanilla, then stir the warm ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.
Press the oat mixture into the lined tin, then bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool completely before slicing into bars.
This uses aubergine, but courgette can easily be subbed in instead. It's packed with the classic Iranian ingredients of saffron, turmeric and barberries – small, sharp, dried berries that add a wonderful tang; source them in larger supermarkets, Middle Eastern grocers or online. Kukus can be eaten with a salad, as part of a picnic or meze, or stuffed into pockets of pitta for a snack.
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4
3 medium aubergines, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces Vegetable oil
Salt
1 pinch saffron strands
1 pinch sugar
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed6 large eggs½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp barberries
1 large handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Spread the aubergines on a large baking sheet, drizzle with three tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and toss to coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until completely soft, then remove and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, grind the saffron and sugar in a mortar, add a tablespoon of just-boiled water and leave to steep for five minutes.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a medium oven-safe pan on a medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until soft and brown. Add the garlic, cook for two minutes more, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, saffron mixture, turmeric, cumin, flour, lemon juice and a half-teaspoon of salt, then fold in the barberries, coriander, roast aubergine pieces and fried onion.
Pour two tablespoons of oil into the same pan on a medium heat. Tip in the kuku mixture, cover and cook for eight to 10 minutes, until just cooked through. You want it mostly set and puffing up a bit at the sides.
Turn on the grill, then finish off the kuku under the grill until it is set and golden brown on top. Leave to cool to room temperature, then slice into thick triangles to serve.
These recipes are edited extracts from Sabzi: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes for Every Day, by Yasmin Khan, published by Bloomsbury Publishing at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, go to guardianbookshop.com