Thick and Fluffy Matzo Ball Floaters – Low-Fat

Want a full proof two-minute Passover matzo ball recipe? This Thick and Fluffy Matzo Ball Floaters recipe is for you.

Serve hot in this Jewish Chicken Soup.

Origins

Central-Eastern Eurpoean Jewry brought Mazto Balls to the rest of the Western World.

A Healthy Version

In some homes, schmaltz (meat fat) is added to the ‘dough’. For health purposes, many have abandoned this ‘tradition’.

Nowadays, many just use neutral vegetable oil. You can definately add a Tablespoon, or two, of oil if you like gooey matzo balls.

But what if I told you that this recipe doesn’t call for any oil? Nope. No added oil.

That’s right!

This is a fat-free Matzo Ball recipe.

Not all Matzo Balls are created equal.

There are matzo balls that are so dense that they sink. They are called ‘Sinkers׳.

Then there are the ‘Floaters’.

These are divided into 2 main types:

The light, airy, and fluffy, which could end up falling apart because they are more infused with water. This is why the larger matzo balls fall apart more readily – they hold more water.

The second type are thick… and fluffy matzo balls.

Tip: Experiment before molding all of the balls to get the results that suit you.

How so?

Try out 3 ball sizes in diameter:

• 1 inch
• 1-1/2 inches
• 2 inches

Toss one of each size into the boiling broth.

Let them cook for 20 minutes and check the internal and externsl preparedness and texture.

What are Matzo Balls?

In case you’re not sure what matzo balls are, then here’s a quick explanation:

Matzo balls are traditional Passover (Pesach) matzo (matzah) meal dumplings that are not stuffed.

It’s Really Simple

Mix the meal with egg and water (and sometimes fat) and mold into the shape of balls.

I grew up on boxed matzo balls and it took a good several years before I fell in-love with homemade matzo balls.

When you get the hang of it, making homemade matzo balls becomes so intuitive because they are so EASY to make.

You can whip up any kind in a jiffy. You add an eye measured amount of matzo meal, pour in hot water, let it cool, add the eggs, baking powder and some spices. That’s it.

Why do Jewish people eat Matzo on Passover?

First, it’s important to understand what matzo is.

Matzo is considered a type of bread, an unleavened bread that has the texture and shape of very large crackers.

It was only this type of bread-cracker that the Hebrew slaves managed to prepare really quickly whilst fleeing Egypt led by the prophet Moses 3000 years ago.

They had a long and scary journey ahead of them and some kind of bread necessary to survive.

This famous ‘flee’, which took place in 1313 BCE, is known as the Exodus.

Since the Exodus, according to the Torah (the Jewish main part of the Bible), it is mandatory for Jews to eat matzo on Passover eve (during the Seder – the Passover ceremony).

On top of that, it is forbidden to eat leavened bread (grains) or anything that contains grains that have risen or fermented, and not just leavened wheat grains.

Why do European Jews eat Matzo balls in chicken soup on Passover?

Jews from Europe invented matzo balls as a solution to a lack of dish ideas.

They were/are not allowed to eat legumes on Pessach, so what else is left to eat?

What are sinker matzo balls?

They are firm and dense matzo balls that don’t float. We are not going to get a recipe for matzo ball sinkers. But I can say that if you’d like to make them, just don’t add baking powder to the matzo mixture and add less eggs.

What kind of Matzo Meal is used?

There are 2 main types of Matzo Meal: One is very thinly ground and has close to a floury consistency, like cake flour, called Matzo Cake Meal. The other type is the coarsely ground kind.

Matzo Ball recipes call for the coarsely ground matzo meap

What dampening agents are used in a matzo ball mixture?

There are several types of liquid you can choose to add to any type of matzo balls mixture:

Here’s a list:

• tap water – for vegetarian matzo balls
• boiling water – same as above
• chicken stock or broth (we’d adjust saltiness)
• Schmaltz (reduced chicken fat)
• A bit of neutral oil
• eggs (egg whites contain a lot of water)

For Thick Matzo Ball Floaters

The key to making matzo balls that are not hard, or that don’t come out soft on the outside, yet dense on the inside, is by following these tips:

• The Matzo Ball-egg ratio should be:
  • 1 medium or large egg per 1 cup of coarse matzo meal; 3/4 cup of water/liquid; and between 3/4 tp 1 teaspoon baking powder.
• It’s best not to over-mix the “dough”. I just mix everything together for a up to a minute.
• Mold the balls gently, not pressing down too hard.
• Thick floaters: Cook the matzo balls for 20 to 30 minutes;

Fluffy, Airy Matzo Balls:

Cook them around 15 to 20 minutes. Add more eggs for more airy result.

You can create them extra-large by molding a ping-pong size of a matzo balls. They end up frail though, and the base ends up flat while in the soup. But no one really cares about the base, just as long as the top is round.

For ping-pong size ready made matzo balls, mold tiny 1-inch balls out of the mixture.

How to Cook the Balls in this Floater Thick Matzo Balls Recipe

If you cook matzo balls in the chicken soup pot, the matzo balls are likely to break up whilst banging against the chicken soup ingredients or the pot walls.

• So, the best way to go is to cook the matzo balls in a separate pot in:
  • chicken broth that’s really easy to prepare, as is the case of the recipe below; or,
  • salted water or with chicken soup mix
  • diluted chicken stock.

Is it a Mitzva (one of the Jewish commandments) to eat chicken soup or matzo balls during the Pesach Seder? If not, why do Jews of European descent eat them?

No. As mentioned above, they are such a hit because those who don’t eat legumes or lentils on Passover sometimes feel as though they are out of ideas of what to make.

Some say they constantly feel hungry and end up nibbling a lot of matzo, not just because it’s so tasty.

So, matzo balls are the perfect way to add charm, as well as nostalgy for many, to the Passover meal.

Do people integrate matzo balls into other dishes on Passover?

Absolutely.

• You can substitute matzo balls for the lentils and legume in a traditional Shabbat stew, called Cholent.
• You can add them to the chicken balls in Gondi, a Persian chicken ball soup. Gondi is traditionally made with Hummus flour (chickpea flour). Mine are not. I make them for Passover so I use Matzo Meal. Throughout the year, if I am out of Matzo Meal, I use bread crumbs.

Are matzo balls typically gluten-free?

No. Matzo is from wheat flour which contains gluten.

That being said, there are gluten-free matzo balls made out of potato starch, chia seeds, quinoa and almond flour. They more readily fall apart though.

Floater Thick Matzo Balls Recipe:

Please let me know in the comments section below how they came out!

• Doughless Passover knishes, gluten-free with chicken
• Doughless Passover knishes with beef

For more on experimenting how they used to bake in ancient Egypt, here’s a link to the Jerusalem Post.