Mákos Tészta (Poppy Seed Noodles)

By Carolina Gelen

Published July 17, 2024

Mákos Tészta (Poppy Seed Noodles)
Emma Fishman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(79)
Comments
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This four-ingredient one-pot meal takes 25 minutes to complete, so it’s easy to understand its wide appeal. Freshly cooked long, flat noodles are tossed in butter (sometimes oil) with ground poppy seeds and sugar. The results are pleasantly sweet, nutty and comforting. This dish of poppy seed noodles, also known as mákos tészta in Hungarian, originated as early as the 16th century as a humble meal beloved by peasants. Its affordability and appeal caused it to quickly grow in popularity until it was adopted across Hungary and certain parts of Eastern and Central Europe. The dish is enjoyed as a sweet main course, served on its own, or paired with a soup or salad.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Salt
  • 12ounces egg noodles
  • ½cup poppy seeds (see Tip)
  • 6tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 5tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced into 1-tablespoon pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

619 calories; 25 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 84 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 324 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente, 1 minute less than the package directions. Reserve ⅓ cup water before draining the noodles, keeping them in the pot.

  2. Step 2

    To a spice grinder, add the poppy seeds and sugar (work in batches if necessary). Pulse until finely ground.

  3. Step 3

    Add the poppy seed sugar, the butter and the reserved pasta water to the pot of noodles over medium-low heat. Using tongs or a spatula, toss everything together. When the butter has melted and the poppy seeds coat the noodles, serve right away.

Tip
  • The key to making the best version of this dish is using good poppy seeds, so make sure to double check their expiration date.

Ratings

4 out of 5
79 user ratings
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Comments

Peter

this is my mother's favorite food. When she was liberated from the Budapest Ghetto at age 7 a Russian soldier got her some poppy seed but they didn't have a grinder. She was very disappointed then. Still, it's a defining memory of the taste of freedom.

Nina b

My grandmother used to make this for us with cottage cheese and w/o the sugar as a fast & light dinner. Delicious! I’ve also made it with & w/o sugar, with the addition of an egg, as a kugel. Also wonderful

Kispejlo

Brought back memories sitting with my grandmother and great grandmother in the kitchen, grinding the poppyseeds in a large mortar, waiting for the noodles (handmade, of course) to boil on the wood burning stove. The beloved mákos tészta was a special treat. Sugar ground with the poppy seeds, but no powdered sugar on top. I’m getting some fresh poppy seeds and introducing my family to this foreign delicacy.

Vivienne

My mum used to make this. One of my favourite things as a kid. I think I need to make it asap

Tina

My favorite childhood dish was poppy seed noodles. I loved it so much that there are even photos of me from 30 years ago, sitting with a big bowl in my lap as a little girl, eating poppy seed noodles with a fork like there’s no tomorrow. It’s still my favorite, if I had to choose!

HSA

There are pre-packaged poppy seed pastes that are used for sweet poppy seed pastry rolls, called "makowiec" in Polish cuisine and I'm quite certain that there's a similar pastry in Hungarian cuisine. I wonder if one of those pastes would work in this recipe.

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