Cabbage Halušky (Strapačky)
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Loading... - Ales Balaz
- 15 Mar 2023
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Ingredients: halušky (Slovak potato dumplings), sauerkraut, caraway seeds
Prep Time: At least an hour for the kraut to get soft
Last weekend the EU embassies here in Washington, D.C. held an open house. Each embassy had some free goodies symbolizing that respective country. Germans had bratwurst, Belgians beer and chocolate, Poles kielbasa. The Slovak embassy cooked up strapačky and served them with cold Slovak Golden Pheasant (zlatý bažant) beer. If you attended this even, and want to try making this simple, yet very traditional dish at home, well you are in luck. Here is (my) recipe for strapačky.
About the name. My family has never used the word strapačky. We call all potato dumplings halušky. Even according to the Slovak Wikipedia, these two words are synonyms. My grandma would call this halušky s kapustou or kapustové halušky. But, strapačky seems to be a really common term – that’s what the embassy called this dish. It’s actually a pretty fitting term. It is derived from the word strapatý, which means shaggy, as when your hair is uncombed. Pretty good resemblance, I think.
The first (and very important!) step is to rinse the sauerkraut (kyslá kapusta). Rinse it well, get your hand in there and toss it around. Otherwise, the result will be too sour. Then heat up oil, and fry the kraut for few minutes. Make sure you have a lid for the pan you are using. Also add some caraway seeds (rasca). Then give it little bit water. Not too much, just enough to have a small layer on all the way across the pan. Read More…
