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Mákos tészta (Hungarian poppy seed pasta)
Mákos tészta: Hungarian noodles with ground poppy seeds, sugar and butter
Mákos tészta surprises people who meet it outside Hungary: hot wide noodles tossed in butter and finely ground poppy seeds with sugar, eaten as a main course, often on a Friday after a bowl of soup. Children across Hungary grow up on it, and grown-ups still order it in school-canteen-style restaurants in Budapest. The trick is grinding the seeds; whole poppy seeds just roll off the pasta, and the most common mistake is using them unground, which gives a gritty dish with little flavour. Chef's tip: a spice or coffee grinder turns poppy seeds into a fragrant, slightly oily powder in 20 seconds; grind them just before cooking.
- Total time
- 17 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp saltfor the pasta water
- 2 ⅞ oz poppy seedsfinely ground
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)finely grated
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt and cook 14 oz wide egg noodles or pappardelle until tender with a little bite, following the packet time.
10 minStep 2: While it cooks, mix the ground 2 ⅞ oz poppy seeds with 1 ¾ oz icing sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest in a small bowl.
Step 3: Drain the pasta, keeping a few tablespoons of the water. Return it to the warm pan with 1 ¾ oz butter and toss until the butter melts and every strand shines.
1 minStep 4: Sprinkle over most of the poppy sugar with a splash of the cooking water and toss until the noodles are evenly grey-blue and coated. Serve with the rest of the poppy sugar on top.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mákos tészta (Hungarian poppy seed pasta) take?
- About 17 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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