Seudat Purim is upon us, so to host the perfect festival we’ve gathered together some essential, classic recipes for you to try. There are traditional dishes, as well as a few modern additions… just make sure each dish comes with a generous serving of wine!
Purim recipe #1: Vegan Challah
INGREDIENTS
- 250ml water
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp active dried yeast
- 150ml refined coconut oil
- 640g flour
- Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 40ml almond milk
METHOD
Gently heat the water and then place in a large bowl. Add the yeast and one tablespoon of sugar and allow the mixture to proof for around 10-15 minutes. Once finished, mix in 120ml of coconut oil, 250g of flour, the rest of the sugar and the kosher salt with a whisk. When the mixture begins to thicken, start mixing using a wooden spoon.
Add the flour roughly 100g at a time as the mixture starts to solidify. Pull the dough out and knead the dough on a floured work surface for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes.
Grease the inside of a mixing bowl with the remaining coconut oil and place the dough inside, coating the surface of the dough evenly. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow the dough to rise for an hour and 45 minutes, during which time it should roughly double in size.
Once risen, knead the dough and separate it into two equal parts. Braid these two parts together and then cover with a tea towel and allow them to rise for another 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the maple syrup and almond milk and once the dough has finished rising, lightly brush the mixture over the surface of the dough. Place in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
Purim recipe #2: Chicken Kreplach
INGREDIENTS
- 250g flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 3 tbsp oil
- 40ml water
- 250g chicken
- 1 onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, creating a small well in the middle. Break 3 eggs into this well and knead this mixture into a dough. Add the water and continue to knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in the fridge for about half an hour.
Finely chop the onion and fry in a pan until it has browned. Cut the chicken into small pieces and add to the pan. Cook the ingredients well, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once finished, place to one side to cool.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is very thin. Cut the dough in squares about 4cm wide. Gently spoon the chicken and onion into the centre of each square and fold over diagonally to create a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal and finish with egg yolk.
From this point the kreplach can be either boiled or pan fried. To boil, place a little salt in boiling water and cook for roughly 20 minutes. To pan fry, add oil to a pan a cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, making sure to turn the kreplach in the pan.
Purim recipe #3: Hamantaschen
INGREDIENTS
- 4 eggs
- 200g sugar
- 120ml oil
- 325g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Preserves for filling
METHOD
Mix the eggs and sugar in a bowl and make sure the eggs are beaten well. Then add the oil, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Continue to mix until the mixture has thickened.
Roll out the mixture on a floured surface until it is very thin. Cut into small circles using either a round cutter or the top of a glass.
Place a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each circle and pull in the sides to form a triangle shape, leaving the filling partly exposed.
Put the hamantaschen on a greased baking parchment and bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. For a twist on the classic hamantaschen, try chocolate spread instead of the preserve for the filling.
