How To Make Hungarian Dumplings

If you're making a traditional Hungarian dish such as chicken paprikash, you may want to learn how to make Hungarian dumplings to serve as a side dish. Hungarian dumplings are very similar to German spaetzle, a type of pasta similar to an egg noodle, although German recipes often contain nutmeg or potatoes while Hungarian dumplings do not. In addition to making a great side dish, Hungarian dumplings go well in homemade soup as an alternative to rice or noodles.

To make Hungarian dumplings, you will need:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• spaetzle press
• large pot filled with water or soup
• colander

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and stir well to produce a sticky batter.
3. Bring the water or soup to a boil.
4. Push the batter through the spaetzle press and into the boiling water or soup.
5. Cook the Hungarian dumplings until they float to the surface.
6. Drain in a colander, or leave the Hungarian dumplings in the soup and serve.

Tips:

• If you don't have a spaetzle press, you can make Hungarian dumplings using a potato ricer or, in a pinch, a colander with a wooden spoon or other tool to push the dough through the holes. You can also squeeze the batter through a plastic bag with a small hole in it, but this will take a long time.
• Using lard instead of oil will add saturated fat, but produce more authentic and flavorful Hungarian dumplings.