I can remember passing through the Hasidic neighborhood of Mea She’arim in Jerusalem as a teenager and first seeing the mahogany-brown wedges of Yerushalmi (Jerusalem) kugel. Curious, I bought a slice of the still-warm Shabbat delicacy, and was hooked. Unlike any noodle pudding I had tasted before, this one featured a sophisticated interplay of sweetness and peppery bite, with a subtle toasty flavor thrown in for good measure.
The taste is surprisingly easy to recreate at home; all you need is a sure hand and the confidence to make a quick caramel of oil and sugar. Just when you think you’ve got your sugar dark enough, cook it a minute longer — you’ll see and taste the difference in the results. If you burn the caramel, start over — the second time’s often the charm.
Although many American adaptations call for baking the kugel in a regular casserole dish, I prefer to bake mine in a soup pot or Dutch oven with less surface area, which creates a higher, denser end result.
Yerushalmi Kugel
Peppery and sweet, this noodle kugel ups the ante.
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 (16 oz) package thin egg noodles
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 6 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse and drain well.
- In a heavy skillet, combine oil and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is very dark but not burnt, about 11-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, quickly combine drained noodles and caramelized sugar. Stir to incorporate. Let cool at least 10 minutes.
- Add eggs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven and pour noodle mixture into pot. Do not cover pot. Bake for 2 hours, or until kugel is very dark brown and top is crusty.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Israeli
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Is there anything I can substitute for the white sugary? I have a family member who does not eat it. Thanks.
Not in this recipe, as the caramel is key, but here’s a list of 24 kugel recipes to please your family member.
Oven temperature??
It says 350f
OMG!!!
What kind of ‘noodle”?
This fine cake made from RICE!
My Grandma cooked it always for us, children and I made it to my children and grandchildren and now for my grand-grandchildren too! It’s name is Rice Pudding!