Sweet Noodle Kugel Recipe | Lake Life State of Mind (2024)

FAQs

Why does my noodle Kugel fall apart? ›

Make Sure to Cool Your Kugel

Once it's baked, a kugel needs to cool, otherwise it will fall apart when slicing. Give it at least an hour to cool and set up, then slice and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Some also say that the tangled pasta of the noodle kugel specifically has been said to be a symbol of Jewish unity – from the Ashkenazi to the Mizrahi.

Kugels are a mainstay of festive meals in Ashkenazi Jewish homes, particularly on the Jewish Sabbath and other Jewish holidays or at a tish. Some Hasidic Jews believe that eating kugel on the Jewish Sabbath brings special spiritual blessings, particularly if that kugel was served on the table of a Hasidic Rebbe.

The kugel was born in Eastern Europe as a leftover bread pastry with fat and eggs and only eight centuries ago evolved into the lokshen (noodle) kugel we know today. Rice kugels were invented in the 16th century thanks to Ottoman influences, and the popular Polish potato kugel showed up in the nineteenth century.

Stirring can cause noodles to break, as the spatula can cut them into smaller pieces. This is especially true for delicate, freshly cooked rice noodles. Avoid using a spatula to haphazardly stir the noodles to avoid this. Instead, gently push them from the edges inward or use a flipping motion.

It's kind of a no brainer, but stirring the pasta helps keep the noodles moving and breaks up sticky spots before they become full-on clumps. But you don't have to sit over the pot and stir constantly. Aim to stir the pasta fully within the first two minutes of cooking, then another time or two while the pasta cooks.

The name of the dish comes from the Yiddish word kugel meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the cholent, a traditional Shabbat stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish ...

A combination of noodles, eggs, cream cheese and more, kugel is a hallmark holiday food and has been passed down from my grandmother, to my father and then to my mother. Thanksgiving and Rosh Hashanah simply are not the holidays without homemade kugel.

Potato Kugel Recipe

This potato kugel is especially wonderful for Hanukkah. It has all the flavor and deliciousness of potato latkes but takes only half the work.

The kugel is the earliest form of German glass Christmas decoration, its predecessor being the “witch ball”, an unsilvered glass sphere hung from windows to ward off evil spirits (supposedly repulsed by round shapes).

Why is kugel sweet? ›

Kugel is a sweet, egg noodle casserole. The noodles are boiled and then baked with some sugar, eggs, sour cream and cottage cheese.

Kugel is traditionally served as a side dish alongside something meaty like brisket or roast chicken. In this case it would normally be served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and eaten cold the next day. Sweeter versions can also be eaten hot or cold, and taste great with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

Noodle kugel is one of those hearty casseroles you'll want to dive into any time of day. One of many styles of kugel, a baked pudding or casserole in the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition, sweet noodle kugel is typically the one seen most often on the table during weekly Shabbat or holidays like Rosh Hashanah or Shavuot.

Mine turned out great and I and my family ate it over 3 days. It was especially good for breakfast! I did use unsalted butter and regular cottage cheese, but switched the sour cream to non-fat Greek yogurt (fa*ge).

I had to look it up but “lokshen” means egg noodles. As for “kugel”, it is a Yiddish word meaning a baked casserole, most commonly made from lokshen or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. It can be either sweet or savory.

Tearing can be caused by your pasta dough sticking to the roller on your pasta machine. A sprinkle of cornflour should help. Pasta can also tear if you move the dough through the machine too quickly, so slowing down the process could help too.

With their delicate composition, egg noodles can quickly absorb liquids and become overly soft. Adding them too early in the soup-making process might lead to a soggy, gooey outcome, losing that satisfying bite.

Use enough water.

And the starch it releases makes the situation stickier. If there's not enough water for that starch to grow, it'll have no other choice than to make clumpy noodles. The recommendation is 3-4 quarts water for every pound of pasta and a pot big enough to handle the water and pasta without boiling over.

Don't stir. Noodles break because your spatula cut them into bits while you're stirring.