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Kreplach
Kreplach (קרעפלעך): Ashkenazi beef-filled dumplings for chicken soup
Kreplach are small triangles of egg pasta folded around seasoned beef, dropped into the golden chicken soup served on the eve of Yom Kippur, at Purim and on Hoshana Rabbah in Ashkenazi homes, and in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood they are sold frozen by the bagful before the holidays. The dough is soft and thin, the filling peppery with fried onion, and they float like little hats in each bowl. Some families also fry boiled kreplach in oil until crisp. The mistake to avoid is a thick dough, which turns stodgy; roll it until you can nearly see the board through it. Chef's tip: make a big batch and freeze them raw on a tray before bagging, then cook straight from frozen.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup waterlukewarm
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 12 ½ oz minced beef
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or schmaltz
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 6 ¼ cups hot chicken soup
- 1 tbsp fresh dill (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Make a well, add 2 eggs, ¼ cup water and 1 tbsp vegetable oil and mix to a dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil or schmaltz in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and golden.
8 minStep 3: Add 12 ½ oz minced beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned all over and cooked through with no pink, about 8 minutes (160°F). Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, then chop finely or pulse briefly so it holds together. Cool.
8 minStep 4: Divide the dough in two. Roll each half on a floured surface as thin as you can, about 1 mm, and cut into 7 cm squares.
Step 5: Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each square. Brush the edges with water, fold into a triangle and press out the air, sealing well. Bring two corners together and pinch if you like.
Step 6: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the kreplach in batches for 15–18 minutes, until the dough is tender at the thick folded edges.
18 minStep 7: Lift them out with a slotted spoon into bowls of hot 6 ¼ cups hot chicken soup and scatter with 1 tbsp fresh dill.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kreplach take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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