Shared by Michael Twitty

Why should kneidlach (Yiddish for matzo balls) be reserved for soup? Here, cookbook author and historian Michael Twitty reimagines fluffy kneidlach as a fun Seder side dish. Michael tosses the kneidlach in a lemony, horseradish-flecked yassa sauce that's inspired by West African yassa chicken. The recipe makes extra yassa sauce; freeze leftovers, and use in salad dressing, or on chicken. This recipe will work with any matzo balls — use your favorite recipe, or check out ours.
Read more about Michael Twitty’s Passover celebrations in “For Michael Twitty, Seder Is a Chance to Share His Origin Story with Chosen Family” and try his recipes for West African brisket and Koshersoul collards with horseradish.
Make the West African seasoning: Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fully pureed. Scrape down the sides and process again. Repeat until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a container and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic and salt until translucent, 3-4 minutes and add sugar, caramelizing until soft and light brown, 5-7 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, horseradish, West African seasoning, stock and bouillon cube and whisk, cooking until it emulsifies, around 5 minutes.
Add the kneidlach to the sauce and gently warm for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.