Carrot Kugel
Carrot Kugel, a Passover dish that tastes like sweet potato pie cold or pumpkin pie warm.
Carrot Kugel, a Passover dish that tastes like sweet potato pie cold or pumpkin pie warm.
- Carbohydrate 125.66266 g
- Cholesterol 558.36 mg
- Fat 30.57753 g
- Fiber 28.1790994949341 g
- Protein 30.53611 g
- Saturated Fat 5.833105 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (994g)
- Sodium 723.606 mg
- Sugar 97.4835605050659 g
- Trans Fat 3.558453 g
- Calories 853 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook carrots in a steamer until soft, about 20 minutes
- Blend carrots, agave, cinnamon, orange rind, eggs and almond flour until smooth in vitamix
- Place mixture in a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish
- Bake at 350° for 1 hour, until browned around the edges and done in the center
- Serve warm out of the oven, or allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight and serve cold
Traditional noodle kugels rely on starches to build structure, but vegetable-based casseroles demand a completely different approach to moisture control. Steaming the carrots until tender removes raw bite while preventing the waterlogging that often occurs during boiling. Pureeing the softened root vegetables alongside eggs, honey, and blanched almond flour creates a homogenous emulsion where the fat and protein from the eggs trap steam during baking. Grated orange rind provides volatile oils that cut through the natural sweetness of the carrots and agave nectar, balancing the dense carbohydrate profile with bright citrus aromatics. Ground cinnamon and nutmeg introduce phenolic compounds that bind with fat molecules in the eggs, enhancing the perception of warmth and spice without masking the primary vegetable flavor. Blending the mixture thoroughly in a high-powered machine ensures the almond flour disperses evenly, acting as a binder rather than a heavy thickener. Pouring the batter into a greased eight-by-eight-inch baking dish exposes sufficient surface area to the oven heat. Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one full hour allows the Maillard reaction to develop along the edges while the center coagulates fully. Visual cues dictate doneness: look for deep browning around the perimeter and a firm center that springs back slightly when pressed. Temperature changes significantly alter the eating experience due to starch retrogradation and fat solidification; serving the dish warm highlights the aromatic spices, whereas chilling the casserole overnight firms the texture into a sliceable consistency reminiscent of chilled custard.
