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Recently a reader challenged Martha Rose Shulman, the Recipes for Health columnist, to replicate a delicious kugel dish she had enjoyed at a buffet dinner. The dish was made with carrots and quinoa. Ms. Shulman liked the idea so much she responded with not one but five recipes for kugels made with grains. She writes:

Since I’m always looking for new ideas for quinoa and had never thought of using it in a kugel, I jumped at this request. I researched kugels, and found that the interpretation of what a kugel actually should or can be is very broad. The name comes from the word for pudding, but all of the recipes I looked at – some sweet, some savory, many made with noodles or potatoes but many without – could also be described as gratins. I thought the idea of substituting grains for noodles was a very good one, because I never like the way the noodles on the surface of a kugel dry out. I ended up making mostly savory kugels, though I did make one delicious sweet millet kugel, which immediately became a popular breakfast and snack in my house. I combined quinoa with cooked carrots and caraway (probably not the flavor my reader was looking for, but delicious, and I’ve added a sweet variation), and with cauliflower and cumin. I used millet in the sweet kugel but also combined it with cabbage and onions in a delicious savory one. And I made a kugel with grated sweet potatoes and apples that I hope will find its way to some Thanksgiving tables.

Here are the results of the kugel challenge.

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Quinoa and Carrot Kugel: This caraway-scented kugel will be a big hit at your family table.

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Quinoa and Cauliflower Kugel With Cumin: If you have cooked quinoa in the freezer, this dish comes together even more quickly.

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Sweet Millet Kugel With Dried Apricots and Raisins: Millet, a light, fluffy gluten-free grain, lends itself beautifully to both sweet and savory kugels.

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Cabbage, Onion and Millet Kugel: This savory kugel is substantial enough to serve as a main dish.

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Sweet Potato and Apple Kugel: Basting the top of this kugel with melted butter lets the sweet potato soften properly without the top drying out.