RECIPE:
Raspeballer

Traditional Norwegian potato dumplings

Raspeballer is a traditional dish which goes by many names and is served differently depending on where in Norway you are.

In Southern Norway, the dish is usually called komler or komper.

While the people in Fjord Norway often say potetballer, raspeballer, or komler – all depending on where in Fjord Norway you are!

Some prefer to serve the potato dumplings with only syrup and crispy bacon. While others make them as a side dish, with pork knuckle or salted lamb.

Regardless of how you serve them, the main ingredient remains the same: the humble but fabulous potato!

Since the potato came to Norway around 1750, it's been an important ingredient in the Norwegian kitchen.

Use it to make raspeballer at home! Here's how you do it:

Raspeballer – Traditional potato dumplings

Ingredients

1 l stock/broth or lightly salted water

750 g raw potatoes

300 g boiled potatoes

300 ml barley flour

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp salt

Source: Matprat.no

Method

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water, broth or stock to a boil.

2. Peel the raw potatoes and grate them using a grater or a food processor. Squeeze out a little of the liquid.

3. Grate or mash the boiled potatoes. Mix boiled and raw potatoes with flour and salt to make a dough.

4. Boil a small sample to see if the dough is firm enough. Make dumplings with a spoon and carefully place them into the water/broth that is close to the boiling point. Dip the spoon in cold water between each dumpling and try to make them as smooth as possible.

5. Simmer the dumplings for 30-40 minutes, depending on their size. Slice open a dumpling to check if it's done. It should have a uniform consistency and colour all the way through.

You can eat it as it is, but it's excellent with some salted meat, or bacon and syrup!

Many restaurants and cafés across the country serve the traditional dish.

If you're in Oslo, step by the cosy café Kaffistova for generous portions of Norwegian specialities at reasonable prices.

Travelling to Bergen? Plan for a meal at the gastropub Pingvinen, which has raspeballer on the menu every Thursday.

In Norway, it's actually a tradition to serve raspeballer on Thursdays.

At Lura Turistheim in Sandnes in Fjord Norway, some of the regulars have been eating raspeballer (or komler, as they call them), every Thursday since 1949!

Want to taste more traditional dishes at a budget-friendly price? Stop by a kro!

A kro is a small diner or café, often located beside a main road, which typically serves home-cooked, traditional dishes.