Dödölle is a traditional Hungarian potato dish — something like rustic, pan‑fried potato dumplings. It’s made from mashed potatoes mixed with flour, shaped with a spoon, and fried with onions until the outside becomes golden and crispy. It’s hearty, simple, and usually served with sour cream or alongside meat stews like pörkölt. Other local names are: gánica (Zala, Vas), dödő (Őrség), zsámiska (Palócföld), görhe/görhő (Somogy).
… and here is the recipe.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 kg potatoes
- 200–250 g flour (depending on potato type)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3–4 tbsp oil or lard
- Salt to taste
- Optional: sour cream for serving
Instructions
1. Cook the potatoes
- Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks.
- Boil them in salted water until soft.
- Drain, but keep a little of the cooking water in the pot.
2. Mash and thicken
- Mash the potatoes in the pot.
- While still hot, add the flour and mix vigorously.
- The dough should be thick, sticky, and hold its shape.
3. Prepare the onions
- In a pan, fry the chopped onion in oil or lard until golden.
- Set aside.
4. Shape the dödölle
- Using two spoons, form small dumpling‑like portions from the potato dough.
- Drop them into the pan with the fried onions.
5. Fry until golden
- Gently fry the dödölle on all sides until they get a crispy, browned exterior.
6. Serve
- Traditionally served with pörkölt, sour cream, or simply with the fried onions on top.
Vocabulary
| rustic | rusztikus |
| pan-fried | serpenyőben sütött |
| potato dumpling | krumplinudli / krumpligombóc |
| to shape | formázni |
| crispy | ropogós |
| hearty | tartalmas |
| to depend on | függ vmitől |
| finely chopped | finomra vágott |
| lard | zsír |
| chunks | darabok |
| vigorously | erőteljesen |
| exterior | külső |





