Lokshen Kugel

Name: Lokshen Kugel
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: Wholewheat pasta; Light cream cheese; Fat-free Greek yoghurt; Eggs; Caster sugar; Raisins; Vanilla extract; Salt

305 kcal a serving, against 477 for the traditional version. That is 172 kcal off, or 36%, with 14.9g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 10 minutes.

What the traditional version is

Lokshen kugel starts with wide egg noodles cooked until just soft, then tossed in a mixture of full-fat cottage cheese, double cream, eggs, sugar and a scattering of raisins. Sometimes there's a hint of vanilla or lemon zest if the cook is feeling fancy. The mixture is tipped into a tray, baked until set but wobbly in the middle and bronzed on top. It's meant to taste sweet, creamy and dense, like a cross between a pudding and a cheesecake, with chewy edges you can't help picking at.

What changed, and what each change costs

Cream double and full-fat cheese swapped for fat-free Greek yoghurt and light cream cheese

The only way to drop the fat is to lose the heavy dairy. Fat-free Greek yoghurt gives extra protein, and light cream cheese just about holds things together.

What it costs you. You absolutely lose the creamy, luxurious texture. The bake sets, but it's softer and a bit watery. Don't expect it to slice cleanly or to get that pudding-like wobble.

Cut sugar from 100g to 60g, and add a bit more vanilla

Less sugar, but a bigger splash of vanilla helps make up for lost richness. The kids are less likely to riot, unless they notice.

What it costs you. It's only just sweet enough this way. The original is closer to dessert than breakfast. Here, it's a breakfast pretending to be pudding.

Drop cream cheese by a third, up the egg to 250g

Egg is the first trick I reach for to replace what the fat did. More egg means more protein and helps it set, even if it's never creamy.

What it costs you. More bounce, less silk. Not exactly a pleasure to cut, but at least it doesn't collapse into a puddle.

Noodles swapped for wholewheat pasta

It bumps up the fibre a little and does nothing for Jewish nostalgia, but helps you feel fuller.

What it costs you. You lose the tender noodle texture and get something a bit more worthy. It does the job, but your bubbe might frown.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Wholewheat pasta
Light cream cheese
Fat-free Greek yoghurt
Eggs
Caster sugar
Raisins
Vanilla extract
Salt

How it starts

Heat the oven to 180C and find a large baking dish.
Cook the wholewheat pasta in salted water for 9-10 minutes, just until cooked but not collapsing.
In a big bowl, beat the eggs well, whisk in the light cream cheese, Greek yoghurt, sugar, vanilla and salt.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Jewish.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	477	305
Protein	11.7g	14.9g
Fat	28g	8.9g
Saturated fat	15.8g	4g
Carbohydrate	45.8g	41.7g
Protein per 100 kcal	2.5g	4.9g

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. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. eggs, gluten, milk, sulphites.

The method is in the book

This is a kugel with its most important comfort blanket missing. The set is softer and breaks up under the spoon, and you won't get the creamy ripple or rich, dense layers. Taste-wise, it's passable, and the extra egg and yoghurt keep it filling, but nobody is going to remember this as their childhood favourite. Eat it for the protein, not the nostalgia. If you want to impress a room full of old relatives, best borrow someone else's recipe.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 51 more. Buy the paperback