Today I want to share a recipe to a Hungarian dish that does not involve any paprika (for once). Also, it is quite unique, that means, I've never come across anything similar anywhere else, but that just means I should travel some more, right? This dish is typical for about this time of the year: July, August, September, when plums are ripe, naturally. The picture featured here, however, was taken on the other side of the world in New Zealand, where it was more like a New Years kinda dish. No matter the time, plum dumplings are always delicious, and they are certainly worth the time and effort, because WARNING: it takes quite a few steps to make them. So best thing is not to have anything else planned for that day.
You'll need:
- 1 kg (2 lbs) of potatoes
- 25 plums
- one egg
- a couple good handfuls of flour
- some powdered cinnamon
- lard or butter for frying
- 150 g (5.3 oz) of breadcrumbs
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of powdered sugar – or less if you want
First Step: Making Potato Dough
- Cut the potatoes in small cubes, cover with water and boil until soft.
- When the potatoes are soft, drain them and mash them all up.
- Add the egg, and mix it up. Knead the dough and make sure it sticks well together.
- Spread a layer of flour on the table, and also cover your hands in flour so the dough won't stick to it (too much). Use a rolling pin to spread out the dough evenly. It should be about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. If you don't have one, a smooth bottle should work fine, just make sure to put some flour on it too. Don't worry if some flour gets mixed into the dough. That should help to keep it together, but make sure you don't use too much. Manageability is the key here.
Second Step: Making the Dumplings
- Cut the plums in half and remove the seed. In their place you may put a bit of cinnamon (and sugar).
- Place the half plum somewhere close to the edge of the dough.
- Cut off a piece of the dough around the plum half to make it big enough to cover it comfortably.
- Give it a gentle squeeze to let most of the air escape, then close the remaining hole.
- Make the dumpling nice and round, pretty and perfect.
- Repeat until all the plums (and hopefully all the dough) are used up.
Third Step: Cooking the Dumplings
- Have a large pot of boiling water ready. Drop a few dumplings into it carefully, making sure the hot water doesn't splash on you. They will sink to the bottom.
- Don't place too many dumplings in the pot at once, to avoid them sticking together.
- Wait for them to come up to the surface, then skim them off with a strainer. Don't rush them, they'll need a few minutes. If one of them seems to need longer, it may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Dislodge it carefully with a wooden spoon, or something long.
Fourth Step: Frying the Dumplings in Breadcrumbs
- Fry some breadcrumbs in a pan, and have them ready (gold-brown) for the dumplings.
- When you take them out of the boiling water, put the dumplings in the pan, and roll them around in the frying breadcrumbs. Make sure the crumbs are not too soft, but not charred black. The dumplings don't really need to be fried too long, just so that the breadcrumbs cover them well.
So, this should be all. Hungarians typically serve it with more powdered sugar on top, but I think that can easily be omitted. One thing I really enjoy though, is eating the dumplings with more breadcrumbs around it. They soak up the blood (I mean the red plum juice, of course) squirting out of the dumpling when you stab it with a fork. I remember getting a kick out of this when I was a kid, to the great displeasure of my mom / grandma. This should also serve as a warning: yes plum dumplings can be disastrous if you're not careful with them, especially when wearing a white shirt!
Never mind the laborious preparation and the potential messiness eating them, they are certainly worth all the trouble for their uniquely sweet-and-savory taste. This, by the way, makes plum dumplings not only dessert material, but can be eaten as a main course, which is how it is commonly enjoyed in Hungary.
If you've gotten interested in other Hungarian dishes (the ones with paprika), take a look at my previous posts: