Passover: Matzah Casserole

Preparation time: 30 minutes  

Frying time: 25 minutes 

Level of Difficulty: Easy 

Kashrut Type: Parve or Dairy or Meat 

This is not a dessert but the other way around – a simple traditional dish that is eaten early in the evening so as not to be over-cooked: a mixture of matzah, eggs, nuts, and dried fruit, which is browned with butter or some other oil. 

I know this traditional dish from home – grandmothers on both sides used to make it, each with a different version and different flavors. The idea, however, is similar: it’s the dish you find on the table when you come back from the synagogue on Passover night. 

Despite the obvious familial closeness  between  matzah  casserole  and  more familiar matzah brae, this casserole is a little different. First of all: it‘s sweet and not reminiscent of an omelet. In this recipe, the egg role is mainly to hold together the rest of the mixture – matzah nuts, dried fruit, and sugar. 

You can add more egg, to get a spongier and pie-like texture. I like the slightly coarser and crunchier texture, which blends well with the nuts. Walnuts or pecans and a handful of raisins will do the job, but can be varied. Hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, apricots or cranberries – everything goes. 

The nuts, Passover symbols, and a significant ingredient in the dish are, in the full sense of the word, a treasure trove of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat. Their special composition allows them to calm  hunger  pangs  without  raising blood sugar and insulin. 

The prepared dish can be served hot or cold. If you leave it on the hot plate long enough (when covered, otherwise it will dry), its color becomes darker and gradually acquires a texture reminiscent of kugel. 

INGREDIENTS 

(Recipe yields 8-12 portions)

1 cup of coarse matzah flour (or regular ground matzah), checked for bugs 

3 eggs 

1/3 cup orange juice (or water or milk)  

3/4 cup chopped nuts and chopped almonds, checked for bugs 

1/3 cup of raisins and other dried fruits, checked for bugs 

1 tablespoon of sugar (preferably brown) 

pinch of salt 

oil for frying (or butter or some other fat such as beef or lamb)1 

1 If you use butter or milk in the recipe, be careful that you do not use animal fat for frying.  

PREPARATION