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Neal’s Kreplach

My husband is not a cook. He will, however, if asked, make a dish or meal without hesitation and often rather enthusiastically. He will often return from a trip to the grocery store with a vast assortment of condiments and pickled products and, if we are lucky, the complete ingredients for whatever recipe he decides to tackle that day.

My husband is an attorney, he is not easily intimidated, thus time-consuming recipes or endless lists of ingredients are not a concern. He embraces a challenge and is fairly patient. However, he may need to work a bit on his timing (the art of getting more than one dish on the table at once), but his overall effort and determination are impressive, especially for a non-cook. The result of all this can be fantastic, like his kreplach.

Neal’s kreplach is not traditional kreplach, but he’s Jewish, more a modern take of the well-known favorite. He did not grow up eating this and his recipe is not exactly healthy.  But it is tasty. Our boys love his kreplach, and I am a big fan as well. Making this recipe fully from scratch takes a bit of commitment, but the use of store-bought wonton wrappers reduces the time substantially. You can also assemble these in advance, refrigerate them, and cook them later–which is often what I do.

kreplach

Traditionally, kreplach is a type of small Jewish dumpling filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes, or another filling.  They are typically boiled and served in chicken soup, though they can also be fried.  There are various ideas about the meaning of the word “kreplach.”

Some believe the name comes from the initials of three Jewish festivals: “K” for Kippur, “R” for Rabbi, and “P” for Purim, which together form the word Krep. “Lach” comes from Yiddish, meaning “little”. Another suggestion is that the word comes from the German word “Krepp”, meaning “crepe”. Kreplach also carries a considerable amount of symbolism; its triangular shape is said to represent Judaism’s three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

kreplach

Historically, kreplach is served during several Jewish holidays: (1) Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; (2) at the pre-fast meal before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; and (3) on Purim, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jews being saved from Haman, who was planning to kill them.

A variety with a sweet cheese filling is sometimes served on Shavuot, a holiday that marks the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Fried kreplach (similar to what my husband makes) is popular on Chanukah (or Hanukkah as some say) commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, because the kreplach is fried in oil, which references the oil in the miracle of Chanukah.

History aside, my husband’s kreplach is delicious mainly for its simplicity.  There is a fried outer wrapper and a simple seasoned meat filling. My family eats them as is.  Depending on the filling, I have seen some top kreplach with sour cream or applesauce.  But truthfully, nothing else is needed.

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

4 thoughts on "Neal’s Kreplach"

  1. Avatar photo Ken says:

    Never meat kreplach with sour cream, butter or any dairy! Certainly not in a kosher kitchen. My grandmother also would take the leftover boiled kreplach and saute them in Nyafat or chicken fat, and serve sprinkled with cinnamon sugar! I have never found any other reference to this style. She was from Wysokie Mazowieckie, halfway between Warsaw and Bialystok.

    1. Thanks for your note Ken. Kreplach is an interesting thing, so many different recipes and ways to make it. And you are correct, not a kosher kitchen. This is a recipe my husband came up with, but he does not ever eat it with sour cream.

  2. Avatar photo Robin Weintraub says:

    Thanks so, so much for your husband’s Fried Kreplach recipe. My grandmother made these using a crepe like exterior. Every recipe I’ve seen has used a dough that requires kneading and ends up much thicker and bread-ilike than my memories from my grandmother’s cooking. I would love more about your husband’s memories of these delicacies and information about where the recipe originated. Where were his grandparents from?
    I am planning to make these tomorrow and I know I speak for my entire family when I say “thank you!”
    Sincerely, Robin Weintraub

    1. Hi Robin. Thanks so much for your comment. For my husband, this is one of those recipes that skipped a generation. My husband did not grow up eating a family recipe for kreplach, but mainly had it with friends. This was a recipe he and I developed together and it took off as a favorite with our boys. I have made the dough myself and never like the outcome, so I stick with the wonton wrappers. I just developed a similar chicken kreplach in golden broth, so a non-fried version soup kreplach, also using the same wonton wrappers. Look for that on my blog soon, I just finalized the recipe this week. I hope you make this friend kreplach recipe and enjoy it as much as my family does. While it is not health food, it is delish. Be well and stay safe. Andrea

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