1,000 Jewish Recipes (179 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
These matzo balls depend on whipped egg whites for their lightness. They are light in color, tasty, and fat-free. No chicken fat, oil, or egg yolks are needed to make them, but do serve them in flavorful chicken soup.
2
â
3
cup matzo meal
1
â
4
teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of white pepper
4 large egg whites
1
â
2
teaspoon salt
About 2 quarts salted water
1.
Stir together matzo meal, baking powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Combine egg whites and salt in large bowl with an electric mixer. Whip whites to soft peaks. Lightly fold in matzo meal mixture until blended. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
2.
Bring salted water to barely a simmer in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 rounded teaspoon matzo ball mixture and roll it between your palms into a ball; mixture will be soft. Drop ball into simmering water. Continue making balls, wetting hands before shaping each one. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 30 minutes. Cover and keep them warm in their cooking liquid until ready to serve, or refrigerate them in their liquid and reheat before serving. When serving, remove matzo balls with a slotted spoon, add them to soup bowls, and ladle hot soup over them.
 or
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Made from egg substitute, which is composed primarily of egg whites, these matzo balls are very simple to make because you don't need to separate eggs or whip egg whites. They puff nicely and you'll find them surprisingly good. As with all
kneidelach
, they'll be light and tender if you keep the batter soft by not adding too much matzo meal.
1
â
2
cup egg substitute, or the equivalent of 2 large eggs
1
â
4
cup plus 2 teaspoons matzo meal, or more if needed
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking powder
1 to 2 tablespoons chicken soup or water, if needed
About 2 quarts salted water
1.
Lightly beat egg substitute in a small bowl with a fork. Use fork to lightly stir in matzo meal, salt, and baking powder. Batter should be just firm enough to hold together in rough-shaped balls. Add another teaspoon matzo meal or a little chicken soup if needed.
2.
Bring salted water to barely a simmer in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 rounded teaspoon of matzo ball mixture and gently roll it between your palms into a ball; mixture will be very soft. Gently drop matzo ball into simmering water. Continue making balls, wetting hands before shaping each one. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Keep them warm in their cooking liquid until ready to serve, or refrigerate them in their liquid and reheat before serving. When serving, remove them with a slotted spoon, add them to soup bowls, and ladle hot soup over them.
Matzo balls with herbs are not traditional but, like flavored pastas and tortillas, they can be a tasty option for adding interest to old favorites. I like to serve these matzo balls with vegetable soups, such as
Pareve Butternut Squash Soup with Dill
.
Add the optional oil if you want slightly richer matzo balls. Baking powder helps make the matzo balls lighter but you can omit it if you're preparing these for Passover.
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (optional)
2
â
3
cup matzo meal
1
â
4
teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1
â
4
teaspoon paprika
1
â
4
teaspoon baking powder (optional)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable stock or water
About 2 quarts salted water
1.
Lightly beat eggs with oil, if using, in a small bowl. Add matzo meal, salt, pepper, paprika, and baking powder, if using, and stir with a fork until smooth. Stir in dill. Stir in stock, adding enough so mixture is just firm enough to hold together in rough-shaped balls.
2.
Bring salted water to barely a simmer in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 rounded teaspoon of matzo ball mixture and roll it between your palms into a ball; mixture will be very soft. Gently drop matzo ball into simmering water. Continue making balls, wetting hands before shaping each one. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Cover and keep them warm in their cooking liquid until ready to serve, or refrigerate them in their liquid and reheat before serving. When serving, remove matzo balls with a slotted spoon, add them to soup bowls, and ladle hot soup over them.
Curry powder adds an intriguing taste to these matzo balls. They are lightly, not aggressively, spiced. Green flecks of chopped parsley give them a colorful appearance so they liven up any soup, from chicken to vegetable.
1
â
4
cup packed sprigs fresh parsley
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1
â
2
teaspoon curry powder
1
â
2
teaspoon salt
1
â
2
cup matzo meal
2 tablespoons water
About 2 quarts salted water
1.
Chop parsley in food processor. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, curry powder, and salt in a bowl. Lightly beat until blended. Add matzo meal and beat until batter is well blended. Beat in 2 tablespoons water, then the chopped parsley. Transfer batter to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2.
Bring salted water to barely a simmer in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 rounded teaspoon matzo ball mixture and roll it between your palms into a ball; mixture will be soft. Set balls on a plate. With a rubber spatula, carefully slide balls one by one into simmering water. Cover and simmer over low heat about 30 minutes. Cover and keep them warm in their cooking liquid until ready to serve, or refrigerate them in their liquid and reheat them before serving. When serving, remove them with a slotted spoon, add them to soup bowls, and ladle hot soup over them.
 or
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Chopped or ground almonds or other nuts are added to matzo balls in some Jewish homes. These are also delicately flavored with ground ginger, in the Alsatian-Jewish tradition. If you like, you can follow some cooks' custom and put an almond half in each kneidel. Serve them in clear chicken soup or vegetable soup.
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1
â
2
cup matzo meal
3 tablespoons ground blanched almonds
1
â
2
teaspoon salt
1
â
4
teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley (optional)
2 or 3 tablespoons clear chicken or vegetable soup or stock or water
12 to 15 whole blanched almonds (optional)
About 2 quarts salted water
1.
Lightly beat eggs with oil in a bowl. Add matzo meal, ground almonds, salt, ginger, and parsley, if using, and stir until well blended. Stir in 2 tablespoons soup. Mixture should be barely firm enough to shape into rough balls; if it is too firm, gradually stir in more soup by teaspoonfuls. Let mixture stand for 20 minutes.
2.
Cut each blanched almond, if using, in half lengthwise so it will be thin.
3.
Bring salted water to barely a simmer in a large saucepan. With wet hands, take about 1 teaspoon of matzo ball mixture and roll it between your palms into a ball. Set balls on a plate. Push half a blanched almond into center of each, letting one end of almond show.
