Ajdovi Krapi

Dumplings with various fillings are one of the typical delicacies of the Alps and the Danubian area. In the Gorenjska region of Slovenia they are prepared with buckwheat flour and filled with curd cheese. The shape of the dumplings is reminiscent of the carp fish and this is where the Slovenian name ajdovi krapi or buckwheat krapi comes from. Buckwheat dumplings are very nutritious and as such they were often prepared during the times of hard work or during religious holidays as dessert.

Bogataj, Janez.  Taste Slovenia. Ljubljana: Rokus Gifts & National Geographic, 2007.

Recipe

It is very difficult to provide a reliable recipe for this dish, since the precise amount of water needed will depend on the buckwheat flour that you use. I have tried many Slovenian recipes and most of them didn’t work well for the buckwheat flour I could get abroad. For most part, the dough was too sticky to be rolled out. This is the thing one must be most careful about when preparing ajdovi krapi. The recipe below works for the buckwheat flour I can buy in Switzerland, but you might have to adjust how much all-purpose flour or water that you add depending on the flour you use.

Ingredients:

Dough (the exact amount will depend on the buckwheat flour you use)

• 250 g buckwheat flour

• 90 g all-purpose flour

• 250 ml slightly salted boiling water

Filling

• 250 g ricotta

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp bread crumbs or cookie crumbs

• 1 egg

Topping

• 100 g butter

• 60 g bread crumbs

• cinnamon, apple sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Dough

1. Bring 250 ml of water to a boil. Add half a teaspoon of salt and stir. Pour the boiling water over buckwheat flour and wait for it to cool.

2. Add white flour and knead for a few minutes by hand or using a mixer. If the dough is sticky, add a little all-purpose flour at a time and knead until incorporated. The exact amount of flour needed will depend on the kind of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour that you use. The dough should not be too hard, but should not stick to your hands. If it is hard, add a little bit of water. The dough should be such that you can roll it out with a rolling pin over a floured surface.

Filling

1. Mix all the ingredients of the filling until the mixture is uniform.

Making ajdovi krapi

1. Roll out the dough.

2. Use a round mold or a glass to cut out circles (I used a round mold of diameter 5 cm or about 2 inches).

3. Put a generous teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle.

4. Fold the dough to form semicircles and use a fork to seal the dough and create a pattern as shown in the picture.

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt.
6. Boil the dumplings for about 10 minutes. They will surface when done.
7. Melt butter in a pan. Add the bread crumbs, and fry them while stirring continuously until they are golden brown.
8. Carefully remove the dumplings from water, put them on a plate, and top with buttered bread crumbs. This is how ajdovi krapi are traditionally served. You can also sprinkle then with some sugar and cinnamon and serve with fruit compote or apple sauce.