Polish Potato Drop Dumplings (Kartoflane Kluski)

Potato dumplings with cress sauce
Eising/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This recipe for Polish potato drop dumplings—kartoflane kluski (kahrr-toh-FLAH-neh KLOOSS-kee)—uses raw, grated potatoes instead of mashed potatoes as this potato dumpling recipe does.

These dumplings couldn't be easier because there is no rolling or cutting involved. The slack or loose dough is dropped into the water by spoonfuls and boiled until tender. And there are no eggs in the recipe!

They are the perfect accompaniment for pumpkin soup or on their own with butter and caramelized onion.

Ingredients

  • 1 large potato, peeled and finely grated

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together grated potato, flour, milk, salt, and pepper until a thick paste forms.

  2. Dip a teaspoon in the boiling water, then dip a teaspoon in the dumpling mixture—picking up half a teaspoon or so–and slide it into the gently boiling water. Continue until all the dumpling dough is gone.

  3. Simmer about 20 minutes or until dumplings taste done. Drain in a colander and serve as a side dish, a Lenten/vegetarian meal or in soup.

Potatoes in Polish Cuisine

Potatoes–those funky, amorphous-looking tubers–are like nuggets of gold in Poland. In fact, they are so popular, there are no fewer than nine words for potatoes in Polish. The preferred word ziemniak, also known as jabłko ziemi or "earth apple," is used throughout Poland, but especially in Warsaw (Warszawa). Another popular term is kartofel from the German kartoffel. It's used throughout Poland, but especially in Silesia (Śląsk).

Some people say perka is the oldest word for potato and is derived from the Polish word for "Peru" (where potatoes originated). In the Poznań region, potatoes are known as pyra. In the eastern Podhale region (the mountainous Góral region), they are called grula, which can be translated as "spuds" or "taters." In Orawa, in western Podhale, they are known as rzepa. In the Kaszubian region in northeast Poland along the Baltic coast, potatoes are called bulwa, while in the Lwów region, they're known as bandura, and in Lemkos, the southeastern Carpathian Mountain region, they're called kompera.

How Potatoes Got to Poland

It's interesting that the potato, the quintessential Polish vegetable, was first domesticated in South America and brought to Spain by Pizarro around 1570. Then they worked their way to other parts of Europe.

It is believed King Jan Sobieski III introduced the potato to Poland in the 17th century from Vienna where he had defeated the Turks.

For a long time, potatoes as a foodstuff were considered poisonous or evil, and they really didn't catch on with the aristocracy until the middle class saw their merit.

Potatoes grew well in Polish soil; they became so plentiful that they were affordable for the peasants to purchase at the markets and then grow on their own. Soon after, popular root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas were supplemented with potatoes and eventually overtook them in popularity.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
110 Calories
1g Fat
21g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 110
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 149mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 43mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 257mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)