Nokedli are the little Hungarian dumplings that belong under almost every paprikash and stew. Soft, pillowy, and ready in minutes, they are made from a simple batter dropped straight into boiling water — no rolling, no shaping, no fuss.
Can you cook some pasta? Sure! But once you try making nokedli (or as Americans call it spätzle) you will not go back! Homemade, with wholesome ingredients always tastes fresh, different and better.
Hungarian Dumplings / Nokedli
Description
Nokedli are the little Hungarian dumplings that belong under almost every paprikash and stew. Soft, pillowy, and ready in minutes, they are made from a simple batter dropped straight into boiling water — no rolling, no shaping, no fuss.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the batter
Mix the flour, eggs, salt, water, and avocado oil into a thick, sticky batter. It should be soft and spoonable, not a firm dough — add the water a little at a time until it looks right. (see photo or video for consistency)
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Boil the water
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. You can add some salt and a few droplets of oil to the water.
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Form the dumplings
Using a nokedli maker or a spaetzle press, drop small pieces of batter into the boiling water.
NOTE: You will need a spaetzle maker and a spaetzle spoon (spider spoon) for this. You can buy one for under $20 on Amazon here.* This kit includes a spatzle press, a spoon as well as a brush cleaner. Alternatively there is this one* that contains a spaetzle maker, a silicone spoon, like the one I use, a brush and a spider spoon.
*affiliate link
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Cook the dumplings
The dumplings are done when they float to the surface — give them about one more minute, then lift them out with a spider spoon or strainer.
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Serve
Serve right away, generously covered with Mushroom Paprikash or any other stew.
Note
- Never wash your utensils you used with the raw batter in hot water. It will cake the batter on in seconds and will make it extremely hard to scrub it off. Always use cold water, and it is best to soak it for a few minutes to loosen the dough. Same situation with putting it into the dishwasher - better to hand wash these utensils.
- You can mix spices into the batter for color. Once common one my mother used to add is finely chopped parsley. It will not alter the flavor of the nokedli.
