Traditional kreplach

By Feigie Ceitlin

The holiday of Purim is beloved by children for the candy and snacks they get nosh on. For adults, it might be the kreplach (pronounced krep-lakh; singular, krepel) that are served during the festive meal they get to nosh on.

The soft kreplach is the sibling of the hearty matzo ball and a cousin of the dumplings that are popular in other cuisines. These pockets consist of bland dough and a flavorful filling of ground meat or chicken. They can be shaped round or as triangles (which would match the hamantaschen cookies of Purim).

The tradition is to eat them on Purim because its tasty component is hidden within the dough, just like G-d’s hand was hidden in how the salvation of the Jews unfolded in ancient Persia. (There are 2 other times that they are eaten on the Jewish calendar - on the eve of Yom Kippur and on Hoshana Rabbah).

There are 2 ways to enjoy them. They can be boiled in water and then eaten in chicken soup, or fried and served as a separate dish.

INGREDIENTSDough:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 Tablespoons oil 1 Tablespoon water

Filling:

1/2 lb ground beef or ground chicken 1 small onion finely chopped and sauteed 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder DIRECTIONS: Prepare the dough, knead well and let rest. Saute onion, add ground beef/chicken and spices and cook until browned. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into 2.5 rounds. Add about a tablespoon of filling to each round. Fold in half, and seal the edges with a fork. Cooking options: 1. Cook kreplach into a pot of boiling salted water. Cook until they float (around 10 minutes). 2. Cook kreplach together with the chicken soup. 3. Fry kreplach in a frying pan with oil.