Halushki
I learned about halushki through a popular food community I’m apart of on Facebook. It’s the type of community that is filled with like-minded individuals who love food and love to talk about food. Some folks more than others understand that food doesn’t exist in a cultural silo. The history, tradition, ecosystems, social & environmental impact, and politics surrounding something as small as one ingredient can’t be ignored. That knowledge is also what enriches our eating experience and connects us simultaneously to our ancestors and to local food producers. I love that about food and that’s why I started this blog. But, for some in that community, which is a reflection of America and the current times, food is just food. It may taste good or not. It may be “ethnic” or American. There’s no need for some to delve deeper and this has come to light more recently due to the Alison Roman scandal.
The history, tradition, ecosystems, social & environmental impact, and politics surrounding something as small as one ingredient can’t be ignored.
My thoughts on her are that I knew it all along. You simply can’t make a “stew” out of pretty much all the ingredients you’d use to make channa masala and then not attribute it to the culture from which you are taking the ingredient combinations. It’s flat out wrong. And it’s not just oversight on her part — she’s been asked about her recipes in the past and she actually thinks she’s coming up with something new and different. But I digress… Back to halushki. Someone in the community had posted a question about dishes for large gatherings (pre-Covid, of course) and one of the members commented that Central & Eastern European halushki — a dish made with cabbage and either dumplings or noodles — would be a good option. It’s a famous comfort food which is also really easy to make and inexpensive depending on whether you use meat or not. Several people commented that their mothers made it when they were young, especially those who grew up with modest means. It reminded me of my mom and her meals she would make for us that involved veggies & pasta with very little meat because it was expensive. After reading up on it and making my own version with a lot more meat than is traditional, I’ve come to the conclusion that I just made a homemade version of Hamburger Helper®. I might be wrong but try it and let me know if you agree! Read more about halushki below.
Halushki
Makes: About 10 servings
Calories: About 350 in 1.5 cups
Time: 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. egg noodles
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. butter
1 onion, thinly chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 head cabbage, thinly chopped
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
Sour cream & green onions for garnish
Hot sauce for the Desis in the house
METHOD
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to boil for egg noodles. Boil the egg noodles, drain, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil & butter on medium high. Add onion, garlic, cabbage, and 1/2 tsp salt. Fry stirring until caramelized — about 15 minutes. This may take a little time but it’s worth it to really get them nice and browned. It will bring more flavor to the dish the longer you cook them. Stir in 1 tsp. paprika and all of the pepper. Fry for about 1 more minute.
Step 3
Push the cabbage & onions to one side and add ground beef (or turkey) to the pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. paprika and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook the beef breaking it up with a Mix ‘n Chop by Pampered Chef®, or with a wooden spoon. Once browned, mix in the pushed aside cabbage & onions, and stir in 1/2 cup of pasta water. (Note: you could stop here for a Keto or Paleo dish.)
Step 4
Add the egg noodles to the pan. If they begin to stick together, you can mix in some of the remaining pasta water. Mix everything together and check seasonings. Garnish with a dollop sour cream & green onions. Add a splash of hot sauce if you’re Indian.
What is Halushki?
There are many different variants of halushki (also spelled halušky) but the traditional version involves potato dumplings. It’s believed that since these weren’t widely available in the US and to shortcut the recipe, Central & Eastern European immigrants modified the recipe to be made with egg noodles instead of dumplings. Of all the different recipes that vary from country to country and region to region, all have some form of dumpling or pasta, cabbage, onion, dairy (cheese, sour cream, etc.), and/or meat component to them. Some are made with goat cheese and bacon, for example. But of course, keepin’ it halal here! Halushki is the national food of Slovakia.
Source: Wikipedia and https://thestayathomechef.com/haluski/
