Nokidess

Nokidess

Nokidess are small dumplings made from semolina, eggs and a little oil, created in the kitchen of Libyan Jews under Italian influence. The resemblance to gnocchi is in shape and idea, not in composition: the documented Tripolitan nokidess contain no potatoes. Each piece is rolled on a couscous sieve to give it a rough surface, dried for two days and then cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with chicken pieces.

It is a festive dish because making hundreds of dumplings and drying them takes planning. In Israel during the austerity years it also provided a complete meal from available ingredients: semolina and eggs for the dough, chicken and sauce for the pot.

Active prep time: about an hour · Drying: two days · Cook time: 75 minutes · Yield: 5 servings · Difficulty: medium

Why the dumplings are dried for two days

Fresh, soft nokidess can get crushed and fall apart during the long cooking with the chicken. Drying creates a hard shell that softens gradually and absorbs the sauce without losing its shape. Lay them in a single layer on a clean towel in a dry, airy place, cover with a fine mesh against dust, and turn them after a day. If the weather is very humid, dry them in a switched-off oven with the fan on, or at 50°C (122°F) with the door open for about two hours, then cool completely.

Ingredients (for 5 servings)

• 2 eggs
• 350–400 grams medium semolina
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1.5 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 whole chicken legs, separated into drumstick and thigh (about 1.4 kg with bone and skin)
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil
• 100 grams tomato paste
• 5–6 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika and 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon Libyan hararat, or 1/4 teaspoon each of: cinnamon, cumin, ground coriander and allspice
• 500–650 ml hot water, salt to taste

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Regular medium semolina from the supermarket is the right raw material; not white flour and not potato. The traditional couscous sieve gives a roughness that catches sauce, but a metal strainer with dense holes or the rough side of a grater can serve as a rolling surface — don’t push the dough through the holes. Instead of whole legs you can use eight drumsticks. Hararat varies between spice shops, so a small homemade blend is given rather than a large-quantity substitute.

Method

1. Make the semolina dough. Mix the eggs, water, oil, salt, pepper and 350 grams of semolina with a dough hook until you have a moist, uniform dough. Rest for 15 minutes; if it is still very sticky, add the remaining semolina a tablespoon at a time.
2. Shape small. Pinch off pieces the size of a large chickpea and roll each with a finger on the couscous sieve just to create a rough oval. Don’t pass them through the holes.
3. Dry. Arrange in a single layer on a towel and dry in a dry place for two days, until the dumplings are hard to the touch. Turn once.
4. Brown the chicken. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a pan and sear the chicken pieces for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
5. Start the sauce. In a wide pot, heat the rest of the oil, add the paste, paprika and hararat and fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and about 150 ml of water and bring to a boil.
6. Cook the chicken. Arrange the pieces in the sauce, add another 250 ml of water, cover and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add the nokidess. Scatter the dried dumplings between the chicken pieces, add enough hot water to come almost to their height, and cook partially covered for another 35–45 minutes. Stir by shaking the pot and taste a dumpling: it should be soft to the center and the sauce thick.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The calculation assumes 400 grams of semolina and about 850 grams of edible meat and skin from four chicken legs. Removing the chicken skin before eating lowers it by about 90 calories per serving. If the dough uses only 350 grams of semolina, another 35 or so calories per serving come off.

Variations and tips

• Making ahead: once fully dried, store the nokidess in an airtight jar for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.
• No couscous sieve: roll on a metal strainer; the roughness matters more than the exact pattern.
• Cooking: don’t add the dumplings at the start of cooking the chicken. They need about 40 minutes, not an hour and a half.
• Leftovers: the sauce soaks into the dumplings as they chill. When reheating, add a little boiling water and shake the pot.

Summary

Nokidess tell the story of Italian influence on Libya, but they are not potato gnocchi: they are dried semolina and egg dumplings that finish cooking in a Tripolitan chicken sauce. A festive serving is about 810 calories. See also shorba for the influence of pasta in soup, and the rest of Tripolitan cuisine.