If you don’t know what "nudli" is shaped after, I will give you a hint: think of - naked baby boys. Now that we have that one out of the way, let’s just concentrate on the dough. Nudli dough starts out the same way as plum dumpling, in fact my grandmother made them both at the same time. We kids preferred the nudli and the adults generally ate the dumpling. I tend to make one or the other.
3 cups cooked red potatoes, riced and still warm
1/8 cup butter
2-1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
Coating Mix:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup ground walnuts
2 Tbsp brown sugar
• Cook the potatoes in their jackets.
• Make the crumb mixture while the potatoes cook.
• Place 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp oil into a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
• Add the bread crumbs and ground walnuts, stirring frequently, until crumbs are golden and crisp.
• Stir in couple of tablespoons of brown sugar.
• Remove the crumbs from heat and set aside.
• When the potatoes are tender, pour off the water and set aside the potatoes.
• Let them cool a bit for easy handling.
• Peel and chop potatoes while still warm.
• Put them through a ricer or mash them really well with no chunks left.
• Mix in the butter; it will melt into the potatoes. Let it cool down to room temperature.
• Add the flour, eggs and the salt and mix thoroughly.
• Kneed the dough until smooth; adding more flour if needed.
• Dough should be pliable and light, but not sticky.
• Working with small portions, roll the dough into “snakes” on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut into 2” lengths and roll them lightly one by one.
• Boil a large pot of water.
• Add the nudli to the boiling water in batches so as not to over-crowd them, and gently simmer until they float to the top.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander.
• Drain for a minute or two and then roll them in bread crumbs.
• Pour the prepared breadcrumbs into a medium sized, deep, round bowl.
• Add the nudli to the bowl with the breadcrumbs.
• Gently shake the bowl to coat nudli with breadcrumbs.
• Move nudli to a serving bowl and repeat the procedure with the next batch.
• Place the nudli in the breadcrumbs as soon as they come out of the boiling water or the breadcrumbs will not stick.
