Please help me make better lokshen kugel

ewwpeas20

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 7:57 pm

I made it for shabbos for the first time. It turned out salty, mushy, and gray. I had half a package of noodles so I used less of what the ingredients were called for. I was looking for the sweet parve lokshen kugel, the one without raisins.

- I am a not experienced at all in the kitchen so I am just starting to learn how to cook. I know practice makes perfect so I don't need that line.
Please only post recipes with exact directions. Thanks!

Last edited by ewwpeas20 on Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

zaq

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:08 pm

I don't understand. Why could you not follow a recipe with raisins and just leave the raisins out?

In any event, if you don't have enough of one ingredient, you need to calculate the proportional reduction in the others, not just use "less" and hope for the best.* Sweet lokshen kugel doesn't need salt at all, or a minuscule quantity.

I don't know what you did to make the kugel grey, but you do need to bake it till the noodles on top are a nice deep gold with crispy brown edges. As for the mushy part, you probably overcooked the noodles. Don't cook them till they're very soft; parboil them, meaning cook them for maybe half as long as the instructions on the package call for. They are going to be cooked more when you bake the kugel, after all. You also drain them very, very well, and if after adding eggs and oil the mixture still seems too wet, you add a handful of matzah meal, breadcrumbs, or the "dust" that settles to the bottom of a container of dry cereal.

*And that's why you need to learn math.

ewwpeas20

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:09 pm

zaq wrote:

I don't understand. Why could you not follow a recipe with raisins and just leave the raisins out?

In any event, if you don't have enough of one ingredient, you need to calculate the proportional reduction in the others, not just use "less" and hope for the best. Sweet lokshen kugel doesn't need salt at all, or a minuscule quantity.

I don't know what you did to make the kugel grey, but you do need to bake it till the noodles on top are a nice deep gold with crispy brown edges. As for the mushy part, you probably overcooked the noodles. Don't cook them till they're very soft; parboil them, meaning cook them for maybe half as long as the instructions on the package call for. They are going to be cooked more when you bake the kugel, after all. You also drain them very, very well, and if after adding eggs and oil the mixture still seems too wet, you add a handful of matzah meal, breadcrumbs, or the "dust" that settles to the bottom of a container of dry cereal.

Wow I'm just trying to learn how to cook. Thanks for your advice. We don't like raisins.

ewwpeas20

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:16 pm

oneofakind wrote:

If I never cooked a dish before, I follow a recipe exactly. I can always improvise later.

Ok. I know there are lokshen kugels without any fruit though. I'm specifically looking for a recipe without it. Directions would be helpful also. Thanks.

zaq

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:43 pm

ewwpeas20 wrote:

Wow I'm just trying to learn how to cook. Thanks for your advice. We don't like raisins.

As I said, you can just omit the raisins. They're an "add-in", not an essential ingredient, and unlike changing the proportion of eggs or sugar or oil, omitting them will not affect the recipe in any meaningful way except for people wo do like raisins.

zaq

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:46 pm

See, the recipe given above tells you to cook the noodles according to package directions. That's neither necessary nor desirable. Parboiling them will save a little time and fuel, and eliminate the possibility of overcooking them.

funkyfrummom

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 8:58 pm

I actually hardly ever make sweet lokshon kugel (when noodles are involved, yerushalmi is my favorite, and my kids like s&p).

But here is my recipe (I can relate- I don't love cooked raisins, either). You can use skinny egg noddles, but we always use medium for this kugel. Probably vegetable oil works, too, we just don't use that.

Sweet Lokshon Kugel

1 lb. medium wide egg noodles
1/4 c. coconut or olive oil (or use generous shmaltz)
8 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 c. applesauce
4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced small (optional)
Cook noodles per instructions. Pasta should be just done. Rinse in cold water and drain. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º

Mix eggs, oil, sugar, applesauce, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Add the apple if using. Mix well. Add the cooked pasta to the egg mixture. Mix well to coat.

Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish, generously. Add the kugel mixture to the pan. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the kugel loosely.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the kugel is set and is lightly browned, about another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside for a few minutes. Cut and serve warm or at room temperature.

schoolbus

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 9:40 pm

Very easy no fail delicious lukshen kugel

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 T honey
2 T breadcrumbs or cornflakes crumbs
2 T vanilla sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix all ingredients and then add 1 pack thin noodles cooked Al dente
Bake in grease 9x13 pan or 5x7 if you like taller kugel
375 half hour covered and another half hour uncovered

Note: cooking noodles Al dente is very important if you don’t want mushy kugel.
I cook it covered for the full hour because my kids don’t like crispy top

csstb

Sat, Mar 09 2024, 9:58 pm

Love this one:

1 lb. Medium or wide egg noodles
½ c. margarine
5 eggs
½ c. sugar
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. Vanilla
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Boil noodles until al dente. Drain. Stir in margarine until melted. Combine remaining ingredients and then mix into noodles. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle some additional cinnamon on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered and an additional 20-30 minutes uncovered.