Hungarian Pinched Noodles (Csipetke)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 06/7/21
Hungarian Pinched Noodles (Csipetke)

 PingPongCat/Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Hungarian csipetke is a cross between a noodle and a dumpling. They can be cooked directly in soup or stew broth, or in plain water, and are a great accompaniment for beef goulash or any dish rich with pan juices or gravy.

Csipetke is one of the fastest styles of homemade noodles to prepare, and their name comes from the way they are formed. Pinches of dough, about the size of a dime, are rolled into a ball, flattened, and dropped into rapidly boiling water, cooked until tender.

While csipetke might look like nokedli, the Hungarian equivalent of German spaetzle, nokedli begin with a batter which is forced through a colander, sieve, or noodle grater. Csipetke, on the other hand, is made with a dough that can be rolled between the fingers.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

  • Goulash, optional, for serving

  • Unsalted butter, or oil, for coating the csipetke

Steps to Make It

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 large beaten egg, 2 tablespoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour and knead with your fingertips until a firm, smooth dough forms. Add more flour if necessary.

  2. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water on to boil. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of a dime, roll each into a ball, and then flatten the pieces with your fingers. Drop them into the rapidly boiling water. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Don't be alarmed if your csipetke are all different shapes and sizes and are a little ragged. That's how they're supposed to look.

  3. Drain and rinse csipetke. Serve in soups or stews like goulash.

  4. Csipetke also can be cooked directly in soup stock or stew broth. If not used immediately, coat csipetke with butter or oil and store covered in the refrigerator.

Tip

  • A csipetke variation calls for rolling the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and cutting into 1 to 2 inch pieces and curling them into a cylinder in the palm of the hand or on a csiga board. The cooking time may need to be increased.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
40 Calories
1g Fat
6g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 40
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 100mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 20mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)