Dumplings as side dish
In the past, dumplings were not only a side dish, but mainly in poorer areas they were served as main course, giving rise to regional specialties such as potato dumplings varieties known in South Bohemia as drbaky, in the Sumava Mountains (Bohemian Forest) as bosaky, or a sweet version served with poppy seed, prepared in Moravian Wallachia and called sulanky.
Czech or Bohemian Dumplings
Originally, the Czech word of ‘knedlik or knedliky’ was used for round or elongated mixtures of meat and reconstituted bread-rolls. Flour began to be added only in the 17th century. At this point, the dumplings were closer to buns: kneaded out of flour, eggs, yeast and salt, and baked. As to when they began to be boiled in water, or when bits of hardened pastry began to be added, these questions are unresolved even today.
Knedliky (steamed and sliced bread-like) are one of the mainstays of Czech cuisine and are typically served with meals. They can be either wheat or potato-based, and are sometimes made from a combination of wheat flour and dices made of stale bread or rolls. Puffed rice can be found in store-prepared mixtures. Smaller Czech dumplings are usually potato-based. When served as leftovers, sliced dumplings are sometimes pan-fried with eggs. Czech potato dumplings are often filled with smoked meat and served with spinach or sour cabbage. Fried onion and braised cabbage can be included as a side dish.
Bread Dumplings (houskove knedliky) go perfectly with traditional Czech sauces like Dill sauce (Koprova omacka), Svickova (Marinated Beef Sirloin with Cream Sauce), Tomato sauce (Rajska omacka) and Goulash.
