Ijjah Bil Tawabel (Seasoned Herby Frittata) is a traditional Algerian recipe for a spiced cake typically served as a snack. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Algerian version of Seasoned Herby Frittata (Ijjah Bil Tawabel).
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Tawabel is the name for a spice blend, common to the Maghreb region of North Africa (specifically Algeria and Tunisia). Ijjah is a broader Middle Eastern name for the egg and herb dish, also known as kuku sabzi. So this is a traditional Maghrebi twist version the traditional kuku zabzi. This herby frittata makes a very worthwhile accompaniment to mint tea.
Ingredients:
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
6 eggs
½ tsp dried mint
4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
10 saffron threads
½ tbsp chopped savory (fresh or dried)
sea salt to taste
2 tsp butter
110g spinach
2 bunches spring onions
2 tbsp watercress, chopped
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp sumac
2 tsp Tawabel spice blend
4 tbsp dried barberries (or unsweetened cranberries), to garnish
Method:
Beat the eggs and mix with the turmeric, sumac, saffron, and tawabel spice mixture. De-stalk the spinach and shred the leaves into fine strips. Chop the spring onions into fine rings and and add to the egg mixture with fresh & dried herbs.
Brush a flan dish (20cm) with butter and pour-in the mixture egg and herb. Cover this with foil and bake for about 20 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 160°C (Gas Mark 3, 320°F). At this point remove the foil and bake for a further ten minutes, until the savoury cake is golden brown in colour.
Allow to cool slightly then turn out of the tin. Cut into wedges, garnish with dried barberries (or dried cranberries if you can't find them) and serve.
To make the traditional Iranian New Year dish (Kookoo Now Rooz), add chopped nuts and dried fruit, serving with a yoghurt and fennel sprig garnish.
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