Tarhonya is a Hungarian Pasta dish. It is also called Egg barley noodles. These are quick, easy to make and convenient to store. The recipe for making the noodles is given below:

Ingredients:

• Flour-1 cup
• Egg-1
• Salt-1/4 teaspoon

Procedure:

1. Beat the egg and the salt together in a bowl.

2. When they are combined, add the flour in the mixture.

3. KNEADING THE DOUGH:

Add the flour only a little at a time.  As flours vary in the amount of water they absorb, different flours will need different amount of water to knead. When you reach a stage where you can’t knead the dough anymore:

(i)  Spread the dough out on the work surface.

(ii) Knead it for around 10 minutes, or as long as you can, whichever’s earlier.

PREPARING THE TARHONYA (EGG NOODLES):

4. When you’re done with the kneading:

(i) Roll the dough into a long sausage shape.

(ii) Cut it into four or five pieces.

(Iii)Let the pieces dry at room temperature for about 7-8 hours.

5. When the dough is dry enough to grate,

(i) Grate the pieces of dough on a standard grater.

(Preferably on the large or coarse holes, for best results)

If the dough doesn’t grate properly, allow the dough to dry for a little more time, then continue grating.

The resulting pieces of noodles should be barley or lentil sized.

Voila! The Tarhonya (egg barley noodles) are now ready.

Note: While grating the dough, do not pile. This is to avoid the bits from sticking to each other.

DRYING THE TARHONYA:

Spread the grated bits of Tarhonya on a baking sheet or cookie sheet, placed on the oven tray.

Heat the oven to 100 F (50 C) and place the tray in the oven.

Let them dry in the oven, for half an hour or so. Keep a constant check on the temperature. The bits should not turn brown.

Shake the baking sheet occasionally to ensure the bits dry evenly.

When the Tarhonya   bits are dried, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for a while.

STORING THE TARHONYA:

Store the Tarhonya bits in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.   You can now use the Tarhonya to cook up delicious dishes-be it starters, main course dishes or accompaniments.

RECIPES WHICH USE TARHONYA:

Traditional recipe (SERVED AS A SIDE DISH)

Ingredients:

•          Tarhonya: 1 cup

•          Butter or lard-2 tablespoons

•          Chopped onion-3 tablespoons

•          Boiling water or stock-1 to 1 and a half cups

•          Sweet Hungarian paprika-1-2 teaspoons

•          Salt-1/2 teaspoon

•          Freshly ground pepper- to taste.

Procedure:

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter or lard (Lard is the traditionally used ingredient)

2.  Add the chopped onion to the melted lard and stir fry till the onion becomes a yellowish golden colour.

3. Then, slowly add the paprika and fry it till it loses its colour. But be careful not to burn it.

4. Now, add the stock or water, salt, and pepper and stir all the ingredients well.

5. Cook the ingredients till the Tarhonya become twice their size. Stir occasionally as required. Do this till all the water has been absorbed into the peas or has evaporated.

6. Fry the remaining contents of the pan gently for about 5 minutes.

Note: The Tarhonya bits should all be separate at this stage.

Now serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

COOKING TARHONYA THE PASTA WAY:

Ingredients remain the same as the above recipe.

Procedure:

1.Fill a vessel with water and boil.

2.Add the tarhonya, half cup at a time.

3.Cook for about 8 minutes or till it is done to your liking.

TO TEST CONSISTENCY: take out a few grains every couple of minutes and check if it has cooked enough.

Drain the tarhonya.

TARHONYA WITH SOUP:

If you’re making the tarhonya to go with a soup or stew, you can cook them with the soup OR add them to it.

- Lovina Raymond.