There’s something about the smell of burnt caramel that just screams fall to me.
Maybe it’s because, for me, Yerushalmi kugel is wrapped up in memories of Sukkot and Simchas Torah—of growing up in Crown Heights, on the block of 770, the epicenter of Chabad, when thousands of people would come from all over to spend the holidays by the Rebbe. My mother would cook a feast, and the table would be overflowing with turkeys, stuffed chickens, rice, salads, cakes, and kugels. Lots and lots of kugels.
My mother is the kugel queen. Me? Not so much.
So I invited my mother over recently to make her Yerushalmi kugel with me, and I thought, why don’t we turn this into a series? if anyone deserves her own kugel series, it’s my mother. Her potato kugel is legendary in our family, but that’s just the beginning. There’s broccoli kugel, sweet lokshen kugel, salt-and-pepper lokshen kugel, sweet potato kugel, apple kugel—and I’m pretty sure she has a few more hiding up her sleeve.
But back to the kugel at hand: Yerushalmi. My father OBM, who grew up in Bnei Brak, taught my mom to make it, and she mastered it! Unliked the baked versions, this kugel is fried on the stovetop, for extra crispiness. The secret to this kugel is in the almost burnt caramel, and every time I’ve ever tried to make it, I burnt it! The smell of the caramelized sugar hitting the noodles immediately takes me back to my childhood in the best possible way. It’s Sukkos on a plate.
I’ve spent so many years sharing my own recipes here, but there’s something incredibly special about going back to the recipes I grew up with and getting into the kitchen with the woman who taught me what it means to feed people.
So consider this chapter one of The Kugel Chronicles.
We’re starting with Yerushalmi kugel—the one that smells like burnt caramel, tastes like Yom Tov, and brings me straight back to those crowded, beautiful Simchas Torah meals in Crown Heights.
And trust me, we’re just getting started.
Yerushalmi Kugel
16oz. fine egg noodles (see note)
1 cup canola oil + 1/4 cup to coat the pan
1 cup granulated sugar + 5 tbsp, divided
1 tbsp course grind black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 eggs
Method:
Cook the egg noodles until soft, drain and rinse lightly with water (we want some of those starches but we don’t want it to stick together). Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a stainless steel skillet, combine 1 cup oil and 1 cup sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar darkens to a deep caramel and the oil starts to bubble, stirring constantly. The sugar will start to clump up at first, but be patient, it will melt again and start to turn golden, then darker, and finally amber. It is ok if the oil and sugar separate.
As soon as the oil starts to lightly bubble, pour the mixture over the noodles and stir immediately until fully coated and combined. Add the additional 5 tbsp sugar, black pepper and salt and stir until incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the mixture, stirring to combine.
Place a round shallow pot with handles on the fire (this is essential because you’ll be flipping the kugel over) and add remaining 1/4 cup oil. Swirl around the pot, coating the bottom and sides. Once the oil is hot (you can test this by adding a noodle, it should sizzle immediately), pour the kugel mixture into it. Cook over medium heat until the bottom and sides of the kugel form a crust (lift gently with a spatula to check), about 10 minutes. Place a large plate over the pot and flip it over, then slide it back into the pot to fry the other side. Cook until the kugel is crusty on all sides, about 5-10 more minutes. Check that the kugel isn’t burning, but the more caramelized the crust, the better!
Serve hot or cold. Rest before slicing to give the kugel a chance to set.
NOTE: When my mom started making this kugel, they would sell 16oz. bags of lokshin. Now they come in 10oz or 12 oz. bags so you will need to use part of a second bag. Save the leftovers for chicken soup!
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