Quite possibly the best accompaniment for pretty much any saucy dish, but especially for Csirke Paprikas (Chicken Paprika), these little egg noodles are like a close cousin to Austria's Spaetzle but even tastier (I'm biased, I know, but ... try them and I bet you'll agree). They aren't as easy as ripping open a bag of pasta, sure, but people will definitely remember - and ask for - these. These are like a noodle with super powers; the toothy tender texture combined with the flavor ... yum. We always intentionally make extra because these are a favorite.
I'm including a pic of the galuska maker my mom gave me. I think it's actually a spaetzle maker, but I've only ever used it for these.
Susie's Galuska
Ingredients
3 cups flour (usually I use 2 1/2 cups all-purpose and 1/2 cup white wheat)
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
1 T veggie oil
1 cup water up to 2 cups
Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add eggs and oil to the flour mixture, and add 1 cup water. Start stirring to combine with a whisk. You will likely need to add more water; mix until completely blended. Keep adding water as needed; you're going for a batter consistency much like pancake batter; it should drip off your whisk, but slowly. Whisk vigorously until you start seeing gluten strings developing and stretching around your bowl.
Note: I typically make my galuska batter in the morning to make for dinner; letting the batter rest really improves the flavor and texture, but even letting it sit for at least 10 minutes is better than nothing.
When you are ready to cook your galuska, get your large pot of water on the stove, and bring to boil. I salt the water, about like you might for pasta. To set up my area, I generally set a strainer in a large bowl and put it right near the pot. I also have a pasta server or slated spoon handy (for fishing out the galuska from the water when it is cooked). Know this: the process to make galuska generally makes a big mess on your stove top. Your galuska/spaetzle maker will have a little hook for the lip of the pot on one side (on the bottom side) with a handle on the other, with the hopper running back and forth on the top. Fill the hopper about 2/3 full, and run it back and forth over the holes; the batter will drop down into the boiling water. You'll get a feel for the pace at which you should move the hopper back and forth; it all depends on how big or little you like your galuska. Once the hopper is mostly empty, you can remove the entire thing (I generally balance it on top of the bowl of dough) and it's time to remove that batch from the water. You'll know when the galuska are cooked because they will float to the top of the water. Skim them off with a pasta server or slated spoon, and drop them into the strainer. Once you have pulled out most of the galuska from the first batch, you can fill the hopper and start again. Be sure the water is back to boiling before starting the next batch, though, or the noodles will be gummy and not cook properly.
Keep going with the galuska batter until you finish the batter. I often will move the strainer into the sink when the last batch is still boiling, and then pour the entire pot out into the strainer. Not only does this warm back up the galuska from the first couple batches, but it also helps to get all of the little lost noodles out of the water.
Once you have completed the batter, and drained all of the galuska, turn the strainer-full into a serving bowl and enjoy! These are excellent with any saucy dish, great on their own, and best with Csirke Paprikas!