A recipe for Nudle s Mákem (Czech Noodles with Poppy Seeds)! Homemade noodles are paired with sweetened ground poppy seeds and melted butter for quite the comforting meal.
A favorite dish with both children and adults, variations of these noodles with poppy seeds can be found across Central Europe.
The recipe I am sharing today for Nudle s Mákem (Czech Noodles with Poppy Seeds) was inspired by Cook Like Czechs, but they are also known as Mákos Tészta in Hungary and Rezance s Makom/Makové Rezance in Slovakia.
Start by making homemade ribbon-shaped noodles (or go with a favorite store-bought) and cook just until tender.
Drain well and serve the noodles immediately with a generous sprinkling of ground poppy seeds, powdered sugar, and melted butter. That’s it!
Don’t love poppy seeds? You can swap it out for cocoa powder to make Kakaós Tészta (Hungarian Cocoa Noodles).
More Variations
A potato-based dough is used instead of pasta in the Czech Škubánky s Mákem and the Austrian Mohnnudeln.
In Poland, Kluski z Makiem is popular around the holiday season. This dish pairs noodles/dumplings with poppy seeds, raisins, honey, and sometimes candied orange and/or nuts.
In Hungary, rakott mákos tészta is a variation of the poppy seed noodles baked casserole style.
Homemade Noodles
For this recipe, I paired the ground poppy seed topping with homemade noodles. You can also use store-bought fresh or dried wide ribbon noodles such as tagliatelle.
The exact amount of water needed for the dough will depend on how you measured the flour and the moisture content of the eggs. Slowly add just enough water to bring together a smooth, but fairly stiff dough. If too wet and sticky, slowly add a little more flour until easier to handle (take care not to add too much).
Wrap the dough in plastic or cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes and up to about an hour. It can also be refrigerated for a day or two (bring back to room temperature before using). This will make the dough easier to roll and shape.
Roll the dough into as thin a sheet as possible. I usually keep it around 1/16 inch (1-2 millimeters) when using a pasta machine or closer to 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) thick when hand rolling.
Cover the dough you are not currently using with a clean cloth or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
If you are cutting the noodles by hand, make sure they are floured enough to prevent sticking and use a very sharp knife.
Cook the noodles in batches to keep from overcrowding the pot. This may bring down the water temperature and cause them to stick together.
Drain, but do not rinse the noodles.
Grinding the Poppy Seeds
For the best texture, the poppy seeds need to be ground before using. It can be difficult to locate pre-ground poppy seeds in the United States as they have a much shorter shelf life.
Traditionally, the poppy seeds are crushed using a specialty grinder with a fine grinding plate. I do not currently have the specialty grinder (someday), so I make do with a mortar and pestle or molcajete. If your mortar and pestle is on the smaller side, work in batches. Otherwise, the poppy seeds may fly out and end up across the kitchen.
To make them easier to grind, I sometimes add a little bit of the powdered sugar.
A food processor won’t work. Since the poppy seeds are so small, they will just dance around without getting enough traction to actually create a fine powder. I have heard of some using a spice, coffee, or meat grinder.
A Few More Nudle s Mákem Tips
The amount of poppy seeds and powdered sugar in the recipe are just guidelines and how we usually enjoy them at home. Adjust more or less of each as desired. Same goes for the butter.
I generally mix the poppy seeds and powdered sugar together before topping to easily and evenly toss with the noodles. Sometimes, I add them separately for a contrast in color (or if I am being lazy and don’t want to wash the small mixing bowl).
Cook the noodles just until tender. Fresh pasta will cook quicker than dried pasta.
This recipe can easily be doubled for more servings. Divide the pasta dough into four equal pieces to make it easier to handle.
Looking for more recipes with poppy seeds?
Try my:
- Tebirkes (Danish Poppy Seed Pastries)
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Casunziei All’Ampezzana (Beet Filled Pasta with Poppy Seeds)
Nudle s Mákem (Czech Noodles with Poppy Seeds) Recipe
Adapted from Cook Like Czechs
Nudle s Mákem (Czech Noodles with Poppy Seeds)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- 2 large eggs
- Water only if needed
- 1/3 cup (53 grams) blue poppy seeds ground
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42 grams) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Mix in the eggs and knead to bring the dough together. Slowly add water if needed to make a smooth and stiff dough.
- Once smooth, wrap the dough in plastic or place in a covered bowl and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
- Divide the dough in half. Keep one wrapped and place the other on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough by hand with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine, flouring the dough as needed to prevent sticking. Roll until about 1/16 inch (1.5 millimeters) thick or to the thinnest setting on the pasta machine.
- Dust the sheet of dough lightly with flour and loosely fold it up to make the length shorter than your knife.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the noodles into 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) wide ribbons.
- Unroll the noodles and separate to prevent sticking. Arrange in small nests in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground poppy seeds and powdered sugar.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles, in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, and cook until they rise to the surface and are just tender, 1-2 minutes (longer for dried). Drain well and divide between two bowls.
- Top each bed of noodles with the poppy seed powdered sugar mixture.
- Drizzle with the melted butter.
- Serve immediately.
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