Original dumplings from Poznan and Wielkopolska, the kluski zare are grey colored dumplings that can be eaten with almost any dish! Serve with fried bacon bits, melted butter or fried sauerkraut.
What Is Szare Kluchy?
Grey dumplings or szare kluchy were entered on the list of traditional Polish dishes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on 11 May 2007. These irregularly shaped dumplings are made of a mix of flour and potato flour and get their distinct grey color from the grated potatoes added to the dough. When they’re cooked till black in an iron pan, they’re called black noodles.
Who invented szare klusky? We don’t know. But these grey colored kluski are simply a poor man’s version of the kluski slaskie. Szare kluchy have been eaten for centuries but they became popular in the 19th century in the Wielkopolska region of Poland.
In Polish homes, szare kluchy are usually served as a second course, and topped with smoked bacon with fried onions and butter, and sometimes with fried sauerkraut or kapusta z grzybami.
Marta Norkowska has one of the oldest written recipes for grey dumplings in her book, The Latest Kitchen that was published in 1918 in Warsaw. There’s also another recipe in the 1933 cookbook from Kepno called Dobra Gospodyni.
How To Make Polish Potato Grey Kluski
From the region of Greater Poland, the grey kluski are made with grated potatoes and flour and perfect for a snack or a meal. To start the recipe, peel and grate potatoes and drain all the water out. Next, mix the grated potatoes with flour and egg till it reaches the a pudding consistency.
Boil water in a big pot. Once your pot of boils, cook the kluski by adding about ten to fifteen at a time. After cooking for 5 minutes, rinse them with cold water and serve!
Tips For Making The Best Polish Potato Grey Kluski
- You can serve with fried cabbage or fried swede leaves.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the kluski from the water and place in a pot topped with boiled butter.
- Serve with fried bacon, fried sauerkraut or fried mushrooms, or with kapusta z grzybami.
- Serve with pickled cucumbers or melted cheese!
- Top with fresh homemade cheese, ricotta cheese, or fresh dill if you like!
- For a meaty version, serve with fried kielbasa or fried ham.
FAQs About Making Polish Potato Grey Kluski
How Do I Know If The Kluski Dough Is Correct?
Throw one kluski into the boiling water. If it falls apart, you need to add more flour to the dough. If if forms well, continue adding the other kluski to boil.
Why Is It Called Grey Kluski?
It’s called grey kluski because the juices from the potatoes make the dumplings turn grey if you wait for some time before cooking. If you cook the dumplings immediately after mixing, the dumplings don’t really change color.
How To Make The Noodles More Grey?
To make the noodles more grey, mix the dough and leave it out for a few hours before cooking. The juices from the potatoes will react with the air and turn grey.
How To Store Kluski Szare?
Cover the kluski with melted butter and store in an airtight container. They can be stored in a refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for 6 months. Reheat in hot water before serving. Alternatively, reheat in a frying pan with melted butter.
Polish Potato Grey Kluski [Szare Kluchy] Recipe
Polish Potato Grey Kluski (Szare Kluchy) Recipe
Indigenous dumplings from Poznan and Wielkopolska, the kluski zare are grey colored dumplings that can be eaten with almost any dish! Serve with fried bacon bits, melted butter or fried sauerkraut.
Ingredients
- 4.4 lbs (2kg) of potatoes
- 1 egg
- 2-3 cups of all-purpose flour
- salt
Instructions
- Peel and grate potatoes.
- Squeeze them out.
- Gently pour out the water that is left from the grated potatoes. You will notice that there is a potato starch left on the bottom of the dish. Add it back to potatoes.
- Pour water into a big pot, add 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to boil.
- Mix grated potatoes with egg and flour. The dough should have the consistency of pudding/sour cream.
- When the water is boiling, start cooking kluski. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and gently throw it into the water. Repeat the process with the entire dough, cooking 20 kluski each time. They should be cooked for 3-5 minutes.
- Rinse cooked kluski with cold water.
Notes
- Szare kluchy taste best with bacon, fried onion, and goulash.
- The best way to reheat szare kluchy is to fry them in oil or butter.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 37mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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Did you like this Polish potato grey kluski (szare kluchy) recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
7 Responses
I am very happy you showed the grey kluchy recipe. I remember my mother making them with crushed bacon. I could eat them all day.
Wanda
They are so delicious, right?!
Très bon souvenir gustatif .
Just made them today. Remembering my grandmother
Thank you.
You’re welcome :).
My Mother always made Kluski with just flour, egg and milk and rolled and cut into noodles. When cooked, mixed with Cottage Cheese, Bacon Bits and Fried Onions. Love it! Today I just use store bought egg noodles as a short cut.❤
My mother in law was polish and we made Kluski for Christmas and Easter
Now we have to do gluten free which is souch harder