The Week of Sweetness: Túrógombóc (Curd cheese dumpling)

I received many responses in the past two weeks in connection with my recipes. I was advised to create a dictionary with the most important cooking terms, which would help you to feel in safe if you go shopping or to a restaurant. The page is under construction at the moment, but it won't take long to finish it, I promise. Some of my friends asked me where I get the recipes from. Here is the answer: as I mentioned in the 'About me' section, my mom helps me every week to make the recipes perfect. She mostly doesn't use measuring for her dishes, because she always says that she learned to cook by watching her mother preparing the food for Sunday lunch. So, the measurements are coming from a pretty old (35-years old) cookbook, which my grandmother used, but the instructions are from my mom's and my experiences. I took a picture of our old cookbook for you.

Many of my readers weren't brave enough to comment on their recipe ideas on my blog, but I received many demands from my friends that I will try to fulfill.

There was the Hortobágyi húsos palacsinta, which was very popular among suggestions. I will put that recipe on my blog, but not now. I'm in a mood at the moment where I could eat anything which is sweet at the moment, so the first recipe that I'll show you will be Túrógombóc (Curd cheese dumpling). This recipe is dedicated to one of my best friends, Orsi. She wasn't successful when she first tried to prepare it ,but, as she told me last week, she could complete the task. The mission is not impossible anymore! About túrógombóc a little bit: it is one of the sweet dishes that Hungarian children eat very often in the kindergarten very often. It is possible to say that there isn't anybody in this country who hasn't actually tasted this food at least once in his/her lifetime. Túrógombóc is used as a main dish, because it makes you full very easily. Usually after I eat one or two balls I feel like I ate a whole pig. Here is the recipe & instructions:

Ingredients (for about 10 dumplings)

500g (17,64 oz) curd cheese (túró)

120g (4,23 oz / 0,5 cup) grits (búzadara)

3 eggs (tojás)

a pinch salt (só)

200ml (6,76 fl oz) sour cream (tejföl)

bread crumbs 

powdered sugar

How to become master of the Hungarian kitchen #5

The first step is to put the curd cheese, the grits, the egg yolk, and a pinch of salt in a pot. Grab a wooden spoon and mix up these ingredients. Now, cover the dollop with plastic wrap, and leave it for about two hours. This step is needed in order to soften the grits. Then, while we are waiting for the grits to soften (about two hours), brown the bread crumbs in a frying-pan. Stir it quickly in order not to burn it! (This is the part where my friend first made a mistake and burned the whole thing. After it is ready, put it apart. When the grits in our dollop is soft enough, whisk the white of the egg and fold it slowly in the dollop. Now put water in a cooking pot with a pinch of salt, and wait until it starts to boil. This part is the best, even children can help. Wet your hands to shape little balls from the dollop and put them in the boiling water. (Notes for the kids: not throw, but put!) At the beginning stir them carefully so they won't stick to the bottom. When the dumplings come up to the top of the water, then they are ready. It is usually about five minutes. Cut the one of them in half, and check if it is really ready (they will be soft). If they are, put them in the toasted bread crumbs. Serve it on a plate with sour cream, and powdered sugar on the top. Enjoy!

Notes from the writer 

The only important thing to know when you are going shopping is that you can find the grits at the same place when the flour is. They are in similar packages, so check the label on it, which says 'búzadara'. One more tip to help you make your dumplings better: grate a lemon's peel into the dumping; it will be more delicious.