Hungarian potato dumplings (healthy version)
How can it be turned into a fitness food? Here is my recipe.
Hungarian potato dumplings (in Hungarian: nudli) is usually a sweet dish, often served as a dessert. There are many savory versions as well, but for me, it always brings to mind the soft, sweet kind rolled in golden breadcrumbs and served with apricot jam. I made a fitness version – sugar-free and with whole wheat flour. However, when I calculated the calories at the end, I had to admit that this will never truly be a low-calorie dessert. You’ll find out why below. But don’t let that discourage you! It’s the perfect treat for cozy days, cold weather, or whenever you have a bit more time to spend in the kitchen. It’s absolutely worth the effort.
What is nudli?
Nudli – also known in some regions by its funny folk name “angel curls” – is a traditional Hungarian dish, sometimes called potato dumplings or potato noodles. It’s a simple, budget-friendly meal popular not only in Hungary but also in neighboring countries.
There’s nothing fancy about it – just potatoes, flour, eggs, and a bit of fat. It may sound easy, but making it just right takes some practice. Here’s how to do it properly so you won’t be disappointed with the result.
How to make a healthier version
At first glance, potato dumplings doesn’t seem like a diet-friendly dish – after all, it’s made with potatoes and flour. But the potatoes themselves aren’t the problem. In fact, as I’ve written before, despite their high carbohydrate content, they can definitely be part of a balanced diet.
The base of potato dumplings is mashed potatoes mixed mostly with flour. Luckily, most of that flour can easily be replaced with whole wheat flour – you won’t even notice the difference in taste.
As for the fat, my grandmother would have probably used a bit of pork lard, but I chose to go with butter instead. You’ll also need an egg, and here’s the good news: you don’t actually have to sweeten the dough itself. The sweetness comes from the coating – the golden, buttery breadcrumbs that you roll the dumplings in. You can make the coating with whole wheat breadcrumbs, or mix them half-and-half with finely ground walnuts for extra flavor and texture.
Topping ideas potato dumplings
And now we’ve come to the best part – what to serve with your nudli! Even a good jam can add just the right amount of sweetness. The classic choice is apricot jam, a timeless pairing that never fails. Just make sure to use a sugar-free version, sweetened with xylitol or erythritol, or even better – a homemade one without added sugar.
But if you’d like to try something a little bolder, here’s a fitness-style topping you’ll love:
Mix one scoop (about 25 g) of protein powder with a small cup (125 g) of plain yogurt. You’ll get a silky, high-protein sauce that pairs beautifully with the dumplings. I used the salted caramel flavored protein powder – it’s my current favorite, along with the tiramisu one. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors until you find your perfect match!
Walnut potato dumplings and plain yogurt mixed with salted caramel flavoured protein powder
Get ready for this!
By following this potato dumpling (nudli) recipe, you’ll be able to make heavenly soft and delicious nudli at home. Remember – a good nudli dough should be soft, not chewy or hard. If it turns out chewy, something went wrong in the process. I’ll show you how to get it right.
But be prepared – this is not a 15-minute recipe. Set aside at least an hour to make it. It’s worth cooking a big batch (for example, using 1 kg of boiled potatoes), so you only have to do the hard part once, and you can enjoy these tender dumplings for days – with jam or a protein yogurt sauce.
Potatoes
For this recipe, I used 500 g of cooked potatoes – that’s the weight after boiling, peeling, and mashing. I recommend measuring the potatoes after cooking. In their raw, unpeeled state, they weighed 620 g, which in my case was about five potatoes. The best types of potatoes for this recipe are starchy, floury varieties that become soft and fluffy when boiled.
Diet-friendly potato dumplings recipe tips
I replaced half of the breadcrumbs with ground walnuts. It turned out really delicious – especially with blueberry jam. However, due to the fat content of the walnuts, the calorie count increased significantly. Keep this in mind if you’re tracking your calories.
Let’s be honest – nudli isn’t exactly a diet-friendly food. There’s really only one way to make it figure-friendly: enjoy it in moderation. At first, I divided the dough into six portions, but that made each serving too high in calories and carbs. So I split the total amount into eight portions instead, bringing each serving down to about 50 grams of carbohydrates. This calculation doesn’t include the jam. When eaten with apricot jam, one serving ended up containing 67 grams of carbs – quite a lot, considering that even at lunch, only about 50 grams is recommended if you follow a 160-gram carbohydrate diet.
When should you eat it?
Because of its high calorie and especially carbohydrate content, this is more of a comfort food, ideal during a bulking phase or when your body needs more energy. If you count your carbs, avoid having it as a snack (like mid-morning or afternoon). Don’t treat it as a dessert – think of it as a main dish. For example, it pairs perfectly with a light soup for lunch.
I personally think hungarian potato dumplings are best enjoyed in the colder months, when your body naturally needs a bit more energy – even just to stay warm.
Legnépszerűbb:
Életmódváltó csomag
Ebben a tudáscsomagomban ahhoz szeretnék neked gyakorlati tanácsokat adni, hogy hogyan alakítsd ki te magad a saját, személyre szabott diétás étrendedet. Mindezt kínkeserves éhezés és bonyolult méricskélések nélkül. Ne feledd, a cél az, hogy egy olyan étrended legyen, amit hosszú távon, könnyedén be is tudsz tartani, mert a zsírpárnáktól való tartós megszabaduláshoz idő kell!
Hungarian potato dumplings
Ingredients
- 500 g boiled potatoes
- 125 g flour (45 g plain wheat flour and 80 g whole wheat flour)
- 5 g salt
- 1 db egg yolk
- 1 db whole egg
- 40 g butter (82% fat content)
Rotate in this:
- 30 g butter (82% fat content)
- 250 g whole wheat breadcrumbs (half of which can be ground walnuts)
- 40 g xylitol (I ground this up)
To eat with this:
- 60 g sugar-free apricot jam per serving, or blueberry jam if using walnuts
- or, instead of jam, 125 g plain yogurt with 1 serving (25 g) of protein powder
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Scrub them to remove any sand. There is no need to peel them. Cook them in their skins. Place them in the bottom of a large saucepan. Cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the potatoes are completely soft.
- When ready, strain and allow to cool enough to peel. It is important not to cool completely – they must be warm when pressed through a potato ricer. Once pressed, spread out to cool. Turn occasionally.
- It is very important that as little moisture as possible remains in the potatoes, because if this is not achieved, the starch in the added flour will become soggy and grainy. This will make the raw dough soft and difficult to shape, and the cooked dough will easily become chewy and hard.
- While the potatoes are cooling, I suggest you prepare the crumbs you will use to coat them, because later you won't have time and your hands will be covered in dough. For the crumbs, melt the measured butter in a high-sided pan. Add the breadcrumbs (and walnuts, if you are making a half-and-half mixture), then fry together. Add the ground xylitol. Stir. Set aside while you prepare the rest.
- Melt the butter. Set aside.Measure out the flour, add the salt, and mix.Beat the eggs and prepare everything for kneading. For example, a knife for cutting and a tray on which you will place the shaped noodles.
- Once the potatoes have cooled, spread them out on a pastry board, where you will shape them. Drizzle with melted butter. Crumble the potatoes.Pour in the measured flour with the salt and the separately beaten eggs. Knead everything together with light, quick movements until smooth. Do not knead for too long. Shape it into a loaf.
- Lightly flour the board and roll out the dough into a rectangle. Cut it into 3 cm strips, then cut the strips into 0.5 cm pieces. (There are many ways to shape the dough – some people make finger-length pieces. For me, the longer pieces always broke in half when turning them in the pan, so I stuck with the smaller pieces.)
- Meanwhile, boil salted water in a large pot. Add the noodles and cook for 1-2 minutes in boiling water (just long enough for them to rise to the top of the water), then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Put them straight into the prepared breadcrumbs. Shake and stir the noodles to coat them in the breadcrumbs. You can also fry them a little.
- Enjoy lukewarm, drizzled with jam or topped with plain yogurt sauce.
Calories and macros
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