Polish Potato Dumplings (Kopytka) Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

What are Poland's dumplings called? ›

Pierogi are Eastern European stuffed dumplings that are usually boiled. As with many traditional foods, there are regional varieties with fillings ranging from sweet to savoury, meat to meatless. This potato and cheese-filled Pierogi recipe I'm sharing today is a meatless kind popular in Poland.

The typical ingredients are boiled potatoes and flour, but may also include eggs, salt, and other seasoning. The Polish dish is usually cooked in salted water, whereas in Belarusian and Lithuanian cuisines kapytki is baked first, then stewed or boiled in water. Kopytka can be either a main dish or served on the side.

If your potato dumplings are gummy, it is likely the potatoes were overworked, or the dough was overmixed.

Why do my potato dumplings fall apart? Too little potato starch in the dough, too many dumplings added at once or the water was not hot enough.

Little rolls of dough are used to make up longish kluski, which are then flattened and cooked in boiling water. Kopytka are consumed as the main course, either with a wild mushroom sauce or with as a side dish with all kinds of meats and goulashes.

Unlike pierogi, which are made with flour, eggs, water, and salt, the dough for these kopytka dumplings includes mashed potatoes. Although potatoes are a staple in Polish cuisine today, they took a while to catch on when they arrived in the country during the 18th century.

Kopytka is pronounced koh-pit-kah, you can listen here how to pronounce this word. Kopytka vs Gnocchi: Kopytka are very similar to Italian gnocchi – the recipe is basically the same, but the shape of the dumplings and what they are served with are different.

A key distinction between pierogi and dumplings is that pierogi are traditionally triangle or crescent-shaped, whereas dumplings come in many shapes and sizes, including crescent. To cook, pierogi are boiled and often sautéed afterward, whereas dumplings are steamed, fried, and can also be boiled.

The first recorded evidence of the word dates back to the 17th century, but the dish likely made its way to Polish territories much earlier. According to legend, the 13th-century Saint Jacek Odrowąż introduced pierogi to the nation, when he fed dumplings to the poor in Kraków following the Tatar invasion.

This is a very common problem when pan frying dumplings, and most likely it is because your pan isn't hot enough. The easiest trick would be to buy a nonstick pan, but for those who don't want to spend the money, try out this test. To make sure your pan is at the correct temperature, try the water droplet test.

Why are my dumplings hard and not fluffy? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

Once your water is boiling, let your dumplings cook in the steam for about ten minutes. Don't remove the lid as letting the steam escape will disrupt the cooking process and result in undercooked dumplings, so keep that lid on!

Pierogi (singular pieróg) are boiled semicircular dumplings made from a chewy wheat-based dough that encases a variety of savory and sweet fillings. After boiling, pierogi are often pan-fried in butter until crispy, then drizzled with extra butter.

Once water reaches a rolling boil, gently add each dumpling and continue to boil until the dumplings float. Remove the dumplings from the water using a slotted spoon or strainer spoon and place in serving dish. Best served hot with gravy or sauerkraut. Dumplings also make one of the best leftover breakfast items ever!

1. Cornstarch. Often used as a thickener, an anticaking agent, and a gluten-free baking staple, cornstarch is one of the best substitutes for potato starch when you're in a pinch. You can use cornstarch in place of potato starch in a 1:1 ratio.

Pierogi (Eastern European filled dumplings)

Bigos stew is the national dish of Poland. It can be made with any kind of meat from pork to rabbit or venison, but should always have spicy Polish sausage.

Polish pierogi are often filled with fresh quark, boiled and minced potatoes, and fried onions. This type is known in Polish as pierogi ruskie ("Ruthenian pierogi").

Jiaozi, the Mandarin word for dumpling, is commonly served as a. delicious side dish or a fun snack in Asia. Its Japanese cousin is the gyoza.