Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles Recipe (Mákos Tészta)

Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles (also known as Buttered Noodles with Poppy Seed) are a quick and delicious meal you can bring together in less than 30 minutes! A bowl of poppy seed pasta is a treat you can enjoy on a busy day when you can’t make a 2-hour meal. Definitely, a must-try recipe!

Ingredients for Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles

Watch How to Make Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles!

Step by Step Recipe

STEP 1 - Boil the Noodles

Boil some water in a kettle and add to a medium-large pot. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and then place the noodles into the pot. Boil for about 10 minutes, then taste the noodles for readiness, and if they are still a bit hard, leave them for another 2-3 minutes and taste again. When your noodles are ready, strain the water keeping a little bit of it for later.

STEP 2 - Grind Poppy Seeds with Sugar

Take a spice or a coffee grinder and grind your sugar with the poppy seeds. Adding sugar to the mix is important because poppy seeds will release oil and stick to the walls of the grinder, but sugar will balance the mix out and allow for a cleaner and even result. Add the poppy seed mix to a pot with butter and place on the stove over medium heat. Let the butter melt and mix well to incorporate all the ingredients together. Stir continuously to prevent burning.

STEP 3 - Combine All Ingredients

Add strained pasta to the poppy seed mixture and combine well. If some of the poppy mixes got stuck to the bottom of the pot, use some of that extra pasta water you kept for later use to deglaze the pot.

STEP 4 - Serve and Enjoy!

Transfer the Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles onto a plate and enjoy them as is!

Tips and Tricks

• Keep some pasta water for later to deglaze the poppy seed pot and to add creaminess to the dish.

• Grind sugar together with the poppy seeds as it will soak up the oil that poppy seeds release thus preventing the mixture from sticking to the walls of the grinder.

• Add some salt to the pasta water as salt brings out the sweetness in desserts.

• Make Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles gluten free by using gluten free noodles.

• Make Hungarian Poppy Seed Noodles vegan by using noodles without the egg and plant-based butter.

• Add a little bit of condensed milk to the plate for an extra milky flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Goes Well with Poppy Seeds?

Poppy seeds are great in sweet baked goods like cakes, pies, and cookies, but also you can add poppy seeds to savory foods like salads and salad dressings. Check out this list of poppy seed recipes for more ideas!

How Do You Take the Bitterness Out of Poppy Seeds?

To get rid of bitterness from the poppy seeds you can soak them for 30 minutes prior to using or just grind them. However, in this recipe, I do not soak them and the pasta doesn’t turn out bitter! If you grind your poppy seeds and leave them for a few days before using it might develop some bitterness. So, if you have some leftover ground poppy seed mixture you can add sugar to it if it doesn’t already contain it, and place in the freezer until ready to use.

Do You Have to Soak Poppy Seeds Before Baking?

Poppy seeds have a hard outer shell which makes it a bit difficult to get all the flavor out of the seeds. However, if you grind or soak them, you can get better taste and nuttiness out of your poppy ingredient. While it is not necessary to soak, feel free to do so for 30 minutes in hot water or milk, or just grind your poppy seeds in a coffee or spice grinder prior to using!

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