Yerushalmi kugel, also known as Jerusalem kugel, is a classic Israeli Shabbos dish. It is noodle pudding made with caramelized sugar and seasoned with black pepper, making it both sweet and spicy.
Yerushalmi kugel is a very popular Israeli Shabbos dish.
This noodle kugel originated in Jerusalem in the late 19th century, but nowadays you can find it anywhere in the country.
It is not uncommon to see it sold Friday mornings in Israeli bakeries along side chocolate rugelach and other goodies like chocolate babka.
Like other kugels, Yerushalmi kugel is typically served Shabbos or holiday mornings at kiddushes.
It’s often found on family tables and I’ve never been to an Israeli community kiddush where there weren’t plates of it.
To be honest, I am not much of a kugel fan, but I love Yerushalmi kugel!
It has been my favorite kiddush food since I was a child; and now as an adult, it takes all my willpower to only eat one or two pieces.
I just love the caramel sweetness and the spiciness brought by the pepper.
What are other kugels I can serve with this?
Potato kugel is the next most popular in Israel, but I am partial to my mom's broccoli kugel.
And on Shavuot Noodle kugel is a traditional kugel.
Cauliflower kugel and salt and pepper kugel are lesser known kugels, but they are also nice additions.
Can I use other noodles?
Yes. It is becoming increasingly popular to make these with spaghetti.
Recipe Tip:
Do not use cool or mushy noodles, it will make this recipe much harder to make.
Yerushalmi Kugel
This authentic Israeli Yerushalmi Kugel is like the average Israeli, both sweet and spicy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound egg noodles, short and thin (450 grams)*
- ¼ cup oil (60 milliliters)
- 1 ½ cup white sugar (300 grams)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 to 3 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Cook noodles as directed on the package. Strain the water.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan over a medium high flame. When hot, add 1 cup of sugar and stir continuously until fully caramelized.
- Slowly add the noodles to the caramel a spoonful at a time, mixing each one in as you go.
- Mix in eggs, the remaining ½ cup sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C. Pour into a round or rectangular pan,
- Bake for about 2 hours or until brown.
Notes
*if you don't have have these noodles, you can make it with spaghetti, which seems to be an increasingly popular choice in Israel
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 832mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 6g
Friday 7th of February 2020
i love this recipe!!!! i use 11/2 tsp pepper and its perfect thank you!!!
ElissaBeth
Friday 7th of February 2020
Happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Minna Lederberger
Sunday 8th of September 2019
I wouldn't change it. True Yerushalmi kugel needs the pepper and I often use 2 TBSP. Pepper I find that most recipes have too little. It's refreshing to find one that has the correct amoutn.
ElissaBeth
Monday 9th of September 2019
Thank you Minna :)
Sue
Wednesday 22nd of May 2019
Hi, Tried this kugel as I was really looking forward to it since it seemed simple and who doesn't love that?! But I believe there is a mistake in the ingredients. 1-3 Tablespoon pepper??? I only put one Tablespoom in and it was so peppery, unfortunately I had to throw it out. I will definitely try again with less pepper.
ElissaBeth
Wednesday 22nd of May 2019
Hi Sue. I'm sorry that you found it too peppery. As explained in the post itself, this is a very sweet and peppery recipe. A good Jerusalem kugel has a lot of pepper. Since it's a Middle Eastern dish my guess is that it's made for people who can handle a high level spiciness. However, based on your experience I am changing it from tablespoons to teaspoons :) Thanks for the feedback!