Jewish · Authentic-ish Jewish
Potato Kugel
235 kcal a serving, against 441 for the traditional version. That is 206 kcal off, or 47%, with 12.4g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 20 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Potatoes and onion, coarsely grated, mixed with plenty of eggs and a flood of vegetable oil, then packed in a tin and baked until brown and cracking on top. The finished dish is dense, golden, and eaten hot or at room temperature.
What changed, and what each change costs
Replace half the potato with courgette (from 1800g potato to 900g potato plus 900g courgette)
Courgette bulks out the dish, saves about 740 calories, and adds moisture, which helps when you're short on oil. It's not starchy, so the texture goes softer.
What it costs you. It's nowhere near as chewy or robust, and there's a suspicious hint of green if you're looking for it. If you serve this at a family gathering, be ready for commentary.
Oil drops from 175g right down to 20g
This is where all the numbers shift. It's the oil, not the potatoes, making up most of the calories. With just 20g, the kugel can't fry against the tin.
What it costs you. You lose almost all the crust. The base goes blonder, and only the very top catches any colour. If you're after corners, you'll have to fight me for them.
Eggs up from 6 to 10
With less potato and less oil, you need more egg to hold everything together. It's also the only way to get the protein up.
What it costs you. The texture moves towards a frittata, less dense, more of a savoury custard. Not quite kugel, not quite omelette. But it works.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 441 | 235 |
| Protein | 10g | 12.4g |
| Fat | 25.9g | 9.1g |
| Saturated fat | 4.2g | 2.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 42.8g | 27.1g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.3g | 5.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Jewish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs.
The method is in the book
If you're after proper kugel, you'll notice what's missing - and I'm not going to lie to you. What you have is soft, savoury and full of egg, which has its own charm, but it's no match for corners soaked in oil. Still, it slices cleanly, it's nothing like as heavy, and with a salad it's almost a meal. If you want nostalgia, do the real thing. If you want to eat your way through a half-pan and still get up afterwards, this is your friend.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.