Soaking m.meal for fluffier knaidel

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:02 am

amother SandyBrown wrote:

Use medium matza meal not fine. And add a drop of baking powder. Leave in the fridge at least 6 hours

My receipe calls for separated yolks and egg whites which area beaten to a high volume and then *folded* into beaten yolks.
You may also use seltzer instead of water. Supposed to make a fluffier kneidel.
And keep the pot closed all the time. Also supposed to make it fluffier.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:09 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

is it allowed to be overcooked?

if it says cook for 45 min can it be cooked for longer?

leaving it in pot after switching off flame is better or not?

amother

Mocha

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:34 am

I think using extra fine matza meal--I've never heard of it unless it's what's sold as cake meal--would davka make the kneidlach more dense, not less, as you're packing more mass into the volume of the kneidel.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:35 am

amother Mocha wrote:

right - I guess if the measurements are not in weight.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:35 am

amother OP wrote:

is it allowed to be overcooked?

if it says cook for 45 min can it be cooked for longer?

leaving it in pot after switching off flame is better or not?

I cook mine for 35 min but more time won't hurt but it doesn't add anything.
I turn off flame and let them stay in pot for a while.

watergirl ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:38 am

Everyone has their own way to make their matza balls fluffy. We all insist this is the ONLY way.

This is how I do it, and yes, it is the "only" way:
1) Manischewitz brand matza meal only. No other brand, and not matza ball mix - just matza meal. If I make it with any other brand, everyone can tell I did something wrong.
2) follow the recipe on the canister exactly.
3) leave batter in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight makes no difference (sorry mom).
4) don't patchke the balls when you form them. This is the key for me - the less you work with the batter to form the ball the better, so our matza balls are never round, they have a round-adjacent shape.
5) boil for a long time in a nice big pot, uncovered. Just leave in the boiling water and call it a day, then put it in the soup to soak up the soup flavor. There is no overcooking, you can't ruin them by over-boiling.

↑ Bnei Berak 10

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:46 am

watergirl wrote:

I second every word.
Come to think of it, I wonder why Manischewitz is so different? We don't have it here.

↑ watergirl ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 8:53 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

I second every word.
Come to think of it, I wonder why Manischewitz is so different? We don't have it here.

I have no idea what they do that's so different but it really is the key.

I don't put seltzer, I leave the pot uncovered, I let it boil until I need the pot for something else (so sometimes for 45 mins, sometimes for 1.5 hours or whatever). Follow the recipe, don't patchke them. Always perfect.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 9:00 am

watergirl wrote:

what do you mean by boil?

it should be on a high flame?

the uncovering is interesting.

most of us beg to differ. covered all the way and dont dare peep!

amother

Bluebell ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 9:02 am

I never heard of soaking matzah meal. I get fluffy perfect matzah balls and I probably break every rule in the book.
What I do:
Take matzah meal or even cake meal, whatever is around or left over from Pesach or the cheapest brand. (I don’t use manischewitz on Pesach and the rest of the year liebers is cheaper, I use Jerusalem brand red or gold box from Pesach till I run out and it doesn’t matter if cake meal or matzah meal.)
Put four eggs in a bowl. Slightly beat with fork. Add one cup of matzah meal or cake meal or a mixture. Don’t mix. Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup water and whatever spices you want. Mix until everything is mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Take out and form into balls and drop into hot soup that’s been simmering all day. Leave in soup till Shabbos unless hubby and kids take in the afternoon which is what usually happens. Don’t know how long I cook everything together. BH perfect knaidels every time! And of course say lekavod Shabbos kodesh and think it whenever you make food for Shabbos or Yom Tov.

↑ watergirl ↓

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 9:03 am

amother OP wrote:

what do you mean by boil?

it should be on a high flame?

the uncovering is interesting.

most of us beg to differ. covered all the way and dont dare peep!

Bring to boil, lower to a high simmer. So that would be a med-low flame.

Yes, leave it uncovered! And give the matza balls a nice big pot so they have room to grow.

Seriously the main thing is not to roll them, not to patchke them! And use Manischewitz brand matza meal only, follow the recipe.

amother

↑ Bluebell

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 9:52 am

watergirl wrote:

I never leave the pot uncovered since I make them in my soup. And I roll them. How else are they perfect circle shape?

amother

Jasmine

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 1:14 pm

There are three secrets to fluffy kneidlach.

It doesn't matter which matzah meal you use or the exact recipe (I don't even bother measuring).

1- Put in some baking powder (around a teaspoon)
2- Add water and let the mixture soak in the fridge for a half hour or so
3- Drop them into soup that is at a rapid boil

My "recipe" is about a half canister of matzah meal (I use any brand though I prefer a grainier one), 5 eggs, a glug or two of oil, salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of baking powder. If I want to make less I'll just use less of everything. Never had a bad batch.

After it's mixed, add about a half cup of water and let it sit in the fridge for a half hour. Bring soup back to boiling, using wet hands form balls (not perfect) and drop right into soup.

↑ watergirl

Mon, Jun 10 2024, 1:23 pm

amother Bluebell wrote:

I never leave the pot uncovered since I make them in my soup. And I roll them. How else are they perfect circle shape?

We all have our own way and no way is wrong, if you are happy with the result!

I only bring my soup to a boil once and then lower to a simmer and let it go for hours, adding water as it reduces.

I don't roll my matza balls, I form them into an imperfect round shape. Who said they need to be perfectly round?