Knedelach Recipes

FLUFFY KNEIDLACH

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate batter for one hour minimum.
• Fill a four-quart pot three-fourths full with water and bring to a boil. Add two tablespoons salt. With wet hands, form kneidel mixture into balls and place in boiling water. (If hands get sticky, dip in water.)
• Boil kneidlach for 20 minutes, then drain in colander.

KNEDELACH

Steps:

• Mix matzo and salt. Beat eggs slightly. Slowly add matzo meal until it thickens. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate. boil water. Wet hands and drop mixture by the teaspoon into water. Cover. Cook 35-40 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, eggs, and salt, as if making pasta. You will probably need to add about 5 to 6 tablespoons of water to reach the desired elasticity in the dough. Work it on a floured board, kneading for about 10 minutes. When it's smooth and elastic, pull it into something resembling a square. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Place the chicken fat in a heavy saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions are medium-brown, about 10 minutes. Place the onions in the work bowl of a food processor, and add the sliced beef and allspice. Puree until smooth. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper.
• Roll out the kreplach dough into a large square, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into smaller squares, about 2-inches each. You should have about 24 squares. Divide the beef mixture among them, placing a tablespoon or so of the beef mixture on the center of each square. Triangular kreplach are traditional; fold each square once to form a triangle, then pinch the edges with your fingers. You could also make square or rectangular kreplach, depending on how you fold and pinch.
• To cook the kreplach, drop them in a pot of boiling chicken soup. Traditionally, they are cooked for half an hour or so, until the noodle is soft. An alternative, giving the noodle a more AItalian@ bite, is to cook them for 15 minutes. Serve the kreplach in soup, 3 to 4 to each bowl.
• Note: Though it is traditional to serve these kreplach in chicken soup (3 to 4 per bowl), they can also make a terrific Jewish Apasta@ dish. For authenticity's sake, you can't use dairy products in the sauce but a thickened saute of mushrooms (in a vegetable oil, of course) would be a great topping
• Drink: Seltzer

KNAIDLACH

Steps:

• Beat the eggs lightly with cold water. Add the chicken fat and stir until the fat dissolves. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.
• Gradually beat in the matzoh meal, 2 tablespoons at a time, proceeding slowly as it thickens so you do not add too much. The mixture should be as thick as light mashed potatoes, and just a little soft and spongy. Add salt and pepper as needed. Chill for 5 to 7 hours.
• Half an hour before serving time, bring 2 1/2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add a handful of salt, as for pasta.
• With wet hands, or two tablespoons dipped intermittently in cold water, shape the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Drop gently into the boiling water, cover pot loosely, and let boil at a moderately brisk pace for about 25 minutes.
• When one ball tests done (cut it open and see if it is light and cooked all the way through), remove all carefully with a slotted spoon. Serve in hot chicken soup.
• Variation:
• To make fried matzoh balls, chill the cooked balls overnight. In the morning, cut into slices between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick and fry slowly in hot butter or margarine, turning so both sides become golden brown and the slices are thoroughly heated.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• Prepare 1 of the 3 fillings and refrigerate before you begin preparing dough:
• Meat Filling
• 1. Heat corn oil in a skillet; sauté onions until nicely browned, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add meat to the pan and sauté on high heat, stirring frequently until all meat is browned. Put the onions back in, and sauté with meat, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Let cool.
• 2. In a bowl, thoroughly mix meat-onion mixture with all remaining ingredients.
• Potato Filling
• 1. Heat corn oil in a skillet, and sauté onions until nicely browned. At the last minute, add garlic, which browns quickly.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine onion-garlic mixture with all other ingredients, and blend thoroughly.
• Cheese Filling
• 1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and blend thoroughly.
• Make wrappers and cook:
• 1. Sift flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a large bowl, and create a well in the center.
• 2. Pour eggs into the well, and, wetting your hands, knead into a dough. Add water, and continue kneading until dough is smooth. Roll dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 3. On a well-floured board, roll dough as close as possible to paper-thinness with a floured rolling pin. Cut into 2-inch squares. You can roll each individual square a bit thinner before you fill it. Have bowl with beaten egg, a teaspoon, and filling at hand.
• 4. Place a flatware teaspoon of filling in the center of the square and fold diagonally to create a triangle. Seal sides with egg mixture.
• 5. Bring a pot of water to a vigorous boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, drop in the kreplach, and cook for 20 minutes. Serve in chicken soup or, for dairy fillings, with sour cream and fried onions.