Nokedli
Hungary's everyday dumpling: rough, comma-shaped scraps of egg-and-flour batter pushed through a spätzle plane into boiling water. The Central-European cousin of spätzle, served as the standard side under chicken paprikash, pörkölt, goulash sauces and anything else with gravy to soak up.
Overview
A loose batter of flour, egg and water rests briefly, then gets pressed through a spätzle plane (or a wide-holed colander) into salted boiling water. The dumplings cook in under a minute, get lifted out, and finish in melted butter. Texture should be soft and slightly chewy with irregular edges that catch sauce.
Ingredients
Batter
- 300 g plain flour
- 3 eggs (large)
- 180 ml water
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
To finish
- 40 g unsalted butter
- Black pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Batter
- Beat the eggs with the water and salt in a wide bowl.
- Whisk in the flour until you have a thick, sticky batter: pourable but lumpy, holding shape on a spoon for a moment before falling.
- Rest 10 minutes; the gluten relaxes and the batter tightens slightly.
Stage 2 - Boil
- Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil (pasta-water salty).
- Set a spätzle plane (lapostészta-szaggató) over the pan, or hold a wide-holed colander above the water.
- Scrape a portion of batter onto the plane and slide it back and forth so short scraps drop into the water. Work in 3-4 batches: crowding gives lumps.
- Each batch cooks in 60-90 seconds. They are done when they float to the surface plus 15 seconds.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon or spider; drain in a colander. Toss with a touch of oil between batches to stop sticking.
Stage 3 - Finish
- Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat until just foaming.
- Add the drained nokedli; toss gently to coat in butter for 1 minute.
- Season with pepper if using; scatter parsley.
- Serve immediately under whatever stew, sauce or gravy you've made.
Notes
- Spätzle plane: A flat metal plane with a sliding hopper is the classic tool. A wide-holed colander or a potato ricer with the largest disc both work; rough comma-shapes are the goal, not uniform pellets.
- Batter consistency: Too thin and the dumplings dissolve; too thick and they won't drop through the plane. It should fall in a slow, sticky ribbon.
- Salt the water properly: Bland nokedli are the most common home-cook failing. Salt the water like pasta water.
- Make ahead: Cook, drain and toss with oil; refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat in butter in a hot pan.
Variations
Toasted: After tossing in butter, keep frying 3-4 minutes until edges crisp. Excellent under pörkölt. Cheesy (sajtos nokedli): Stir 80 g grated semi-hard cheese (Trappista, Gruyère or mature cheddar) through the buttered nokedli off the heat.
Serving
Serve with: Chicken paprikash, pörkölt, beef goulash, mushroom paprikash. Also good with a fried egg and a spoonful of sour cream for a quick supper. Garnish with: Chopped parsley, a dusting of sweet paprika.
Storage
- Best fresh.
- Cooked, plain nokedli keep 2 days refrigerated.
- Don't freeze: texture turns gluey.
Recipes mentioned here
Spätzle
A loose egg-rich batter rests briefly to relax the gluten. It presses through a spätzle press, colander, or grater into a pan of boiling salted water. The noodles cook in seconds, lift out, and toss with butter or build into other dishes.
Chicken Paprikash
Onions are softened slowly with sweet paprika, tomato joins, then chicken thighs braise in the sauce until tender. Sour cream is stirred in off the heat for the velvety finish. Served over buttered egg noodles, with extra paprika sprinkled on top.
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