Idrija Dumplings

Idrija dumplings are a renowned Slovenian culinary specialty that can be served as a warm appetizer, side dish, or main course. In the latter case, they are often topped with breadcrumbs or served with a meat or vegetable sauce. Preparing them requires some skill, as the dimensions of a proper Idrija dumpling are precisely defined: 3 cm in length and 2 cm in height (height is measured at the center of the dumpling, with the edges being slightly higher). Competitors in the second season of the Slovenian cooking competition also tried their hand at preparing this popular dish. To assist them, we reveal the recipe below.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 50 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 15 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

Dough

  • 300 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

  • pieces Egg, fresh

  • pieces Oil, vegetable oil, canola

  • pieces Salt, table

  • pieces Water

Filling

  • 500 g Potatoes, white

  • 50 g Lard

  • 50 g Onion, raw

  • pieces Salt, table

Steps

  1. Mix flour, eggs, salt, and water to form a dough. Knead it until it becomes elastic and no longer sticks to your hands. When cut, it should be dense and free of holes. Shape the kneaded dough into a loaf, brush it with oil, cover it, and let it rest.

  2. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Mash the still-warm boiled potatoes. Fry the chopped onion in lard or bacon fat. Mix the fried mixture along with the spices into the mashed potatoes. Form the filling into uniform, hazelnut-sized balls.

  3. Roll out the rested dough to a thickness of one to two millimeters and place the filling balls on it (leaving a finger-width space between them). Brush the dough around the balls with beaten egg. Fold the dough over the balls and press between them to seal and create the characteristic 'ears.' Press a small indentation on top, being careful not to tear the dough. This gives the Idrija dumplings their distinctive hat-like shape.

  4. Drop the prepared dumplings into boiling salted water, stir, and cover. When they rise and the water boils again, they are cooked. Remove them with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 198.92 kcal
  • Fat: 6.13 g
    • Saturated Fat: 2.25 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.66 g
    • Sugars: 0.63 g
  • Protein: 5.41 g
  • Fiber: 1.44 g