Laura's Creamy Vegan Noodle Kugel Recipe • Jewish Food Hero (2024)

FAQs

What does kugel mean in Yiddish? ›

The name of the dish comes from the Yiddish word kugel meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the cholent, a traditional Shabbat stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish ...

Kugel (Yiddish: קוגל kugl, pronounced [ˈkʊɡl̩]) is a baked casserole, most commonly made from lokshen (לאָקשן קוגל lokshen kugel) or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbos and Jewish holidays. American Jews also serve it for Thanksgiving dinner.

A combination of noodles, eggs, cream cheese and more, kugel is a hallmark holiday food and has been passed down from my grandmother, to my father and then to my mother. Thanksgiving and Rosh Hashanah simply are not the holidays without homemade kugel.

Kugel is traditionally served as a side dish alongside something meaty like brisket or roast chicken. In this case it would normally be served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and eaten cold the next day. Sweeter versions can also be eaten hot or cold, and taste great with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

Farshtunkener = Smelly, malodorous person

That makes this affront both versatile and really fun to say.

It is just the Yiddish re-accented Hebrew word ביצים bey-TZEEM lit. “Eggs” colloquially “testicl*s”. Yiddish switches the accent and pronounces it “ BEY-tzeem.

Once it's baked, a kugel needs to cool, otherwise it will fall apart when slicing. Give it at least an hour to cool and set up, then slice and serve it warm or at room temperature.

And then I read in The Jewish Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from Around the World of a Hasidic rabbi, Pinchas of Koretz (in Galicia), who claimed that lokshen kugel itself symbolizes Jewish unity, since the noodles are all tangled together and are really inseparable, just like the unified Jewish people.

Potato kugel, on the other hand, can very easily be made with only kosher-for-Passover ingredients (potato, onion, egg, Passover oil, salt, and pepper). Provided that you made the kugel in a kosher-for-Passover kitchen, you have a delicious Passover feast.

Judaism has its dietary restrictions, such as prohibited pork and shellfish. Meat and dairy can't be served at the same meal. All food must be Kosher, which is a process based upon the Torah. Rosh Hashana has some beautiful symbolism around food consumption.

What should we avoid on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Sour foods are usually avoided. Some people avoid nuts during Rosh Hashanah since the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in the word “nu*t” add up to the same number as the word “sin.” During dinner, blessings are said over candles, wine and challah.

As Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz once said, “Jews eat lots of lokshen on Shabbat because noodles are symbolic of the unity of the people of Israel: They are so tangled that they can never be separated.” Noodle kugel may not actually be eaten by all Jews, but it has clearly reached far beyond mere Ashkenazi cuisine.

The dish sounds like dessert, but it isn't. It's actually more commonly an entrée or side-dish. The sweet and savory are balanced. Growing up in New Jersey, Tamah Kushner always loved her grandmother's kugel, a combination of noodles, apricots, and a hint of sugar.

Storing leftover baked kugel: Let cool completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. How to freeze noodle kugel: Unbaked or baked, kugel should be tightly sealed in plastic wrap and again in foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating.

Meaning of kugel in English

in Jewish cooking, a baked dish usually made of potatoes or noodles (= long, thin strips made from flour or rice, water, and often egg, cooked in boiling liquid): Matzo balls and potato kugel are a regular part of the family's annual Seder.

(ˈkuːɡəl ) noun South Africa offensive, derogatory, slang. a young Jewish woman from a wealthy background who is seen as being excessively materialistic.

2. to engage in sexual intercourse. Also: shtup. Word origin. [‹ Yiddish shtupn lit., to push (in), press]