Curated recipes from 193 countries  •  New seasonal Mediterranean issue out now
DINNER IDEAS Global Recipe Journal
Regions All Regions Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific Browse Atlas

Overview

Raspeballer

Raspeballer, Norwegian Raspeballer, Komler, Klubb

This raspeballer recipe grates raw potato, squeezes it dry and mixes it with cooked potato and barley flour into plain, unfilled dumplings, then boils them gently until tender. They are served with mashed rutabaga, crisp bacon and melted butter poured over the top. One serving is about 530 g.

Raspeballer — also called komler or klubb, depending on where in Norway you are — are the country’s plain potato dumplings, a Thursday dish in many Norwegian homes. They are deliberately unfilled: grated raw potato mixed with a little cooked potato and barley flour, rolled into balls and boiled. The dumplings are the vehicle; the meal is the mashed rutabaga, the salted meat and the melted butter that goes over them.

Pairs well with: Mashed rutabaga, bacon & melted butter

Provenance

Norway flag Norway

Norwegian Heritage

Nordic & European

Time Dedication

1h 20m

40m prep • 40m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

746 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 529 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (Shaping Dumplings)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Thursday dinners, family meals, winter evenings, Norwegian holidays Cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home
Tags: Pork Vegetables Savory Steamed
A plate of raspeballer with mashed rutabaga, bacon, sausage and potatoes

Norwegian Heritage

Photo: Jarvin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

Made the Norwegian way: raw grated potato squeezed dry and mixed with riced potato and barley flour, shaped into plain unfilled balls, boiled gently and served with rutabaga mash, bacon and melted butter.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 20m
P

Prep Stage: Grate, Rice & Mash

40 Mins • Grating & Boiling

Boil and rice the 300 g of potatoes first, then grate the raw potatoes fine and squeeze them dry in a clean cloth. Mix the dry pulp with the riced potato, barley flour and salt into a firm dough, and get the rutabaga boiling for the mash.

Maestro Tip: Squeeze the grated potato really dry — wet pulp makes dumplings that fall apart in the pot.

  1. 1

    Boil & Rice the Potatoes

    25 Mins Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)

    Boil the 300 g of potatoes in salted water until tender, drain well and rice them while still hot into a large bowl.

    Rice while hot — cold potatoes turn gluey and will not bind the dough.

    Done when: A bowl of dry, fluffy riced potato.

  2. 2

    Grate & Squeeze the Raw Potatoes

    15 Mins Room temperature

    Finely grate the raw potatoes into a bowl, tip the pulp into a clean cloth and squeeze hard until no more liquid runs out.

    Squeeze in small batches — you will get far more liquid out than squeezing it all at once.

    Done when: Dry grated potato pulp.

  3. 3

    Make the Dough & Shape

    10 Mins Room temperature

    Mix the dry grated potato with the riced potato, barley flour and salt until you have a firm dough. With wet hands, roll it into 12 smooth balls about the size of a tennis ball.

    Wet hands stop the dough sticking, and smooth balls with no cracks hold together in the water.

    Done when: Twelve smooth, firm dumplings.

  4. 4

    Boil the Dumplings

    30 Mins Gentle simmer, 95°C (203°F)

    Drop the dumplings into a large pot of salted water, bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until they are cooked through and float. Lift out with a slotted spoon.

    Keep the water at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or the dumplings break apart.

    Done when: Tender dumplings that hold their shape.

  5. 5

    Mash the Rutabaga & Fry the Bacon

    15 Mins Medium heat, 160°C (320°F)

    Boil the rutabaga until tender, drain and mash with half the butter. Fry the bacon in a pan until crisp, and melt the remaining butter.

    Mash the rutabaga while hot so the butter melts right through.

    Done when: A golden mash, crisp bacon and melted butter.

  6. 6

    Serve

    3 Mins Hot

    Serve three dumplings per person with a spoonful of mashed rutabaga, crisp bacon and melted butter poured over the top.

    Serve them the moment they leave the pot — they firm up fast as they cool.

    Done when: A plate of plain dumplings with golden mash, bacon and butter.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the raspeballer the moment they leave the pot, with the butter still melting over them — the dumplings should be soft and dense, the rutabaga sweet and golden, and the bacon crisp enough to cut through the richness.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

746

kcal / serving

Protein

28g

Complete AA

Carbs

84g

Complex

Fats

34g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 529 g)
Energy746 kcal
Protein28 g
Carbohydrates84 g
Fat34 g
Fibre11.2 g
Sugar10.2 g
Sodium1473 mg
Per 100g
Energy141 kcal
Protein5.3 g
Carbohydrates15.8 g
Fat6.4 g
Fibre2.1 g
Sugar1.9 g
Sodium279 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Potatoes supply vitamin C, vitamin B6 and potassium, rutabaga adds vitamin C and fibre, and the bacon adds protein and iron. All nutrition values are estimated.

Filling Winter Dinner

About 746 kcal a serving with 83.5 g of carbohydrate makes a dinner that fills you up on a cold evening.

Vitamin C & Potassium

Potatoes and rutabaga are useful sources of vitamin C and potassium.

Protein from Bacon

The bacon gives about 28.3 g of protein per serving to an otherwise potato-based meal.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Mashed Rutabaga

Sweet, golden rutabaga mash is the classic partner — it balances the dense, plain dumplings.

Crisp Bacon

Salty, crisp bacon adds the flavour and crunch the plain dumplings need.

Sauces

Melted Butter

Melted butter poured over the top is the traditional finish — it makes the dumplings rich and glossy.

Vegetables

Pickled Cucumber

Sharp pickled cucumber cuts through the butter and bacon.

Complete menu

Serve the raspeballer hot with mashed rutabaga, crisp bacon and melted butter, and pickled cucumber on the side.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Stuffing the Dumplings

Raspeballer are plain by definition — a meat or curd filling makes a different dumpling, and it changes the cooking time. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Very Salty Sides

One serving already carries about 1,470 mg of sodium from the bacon and salt, so skip other very salty foods. This is general food information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA hearty dinner — about 746 kcal a serving, best eaten hot from the pot.
  • ChildrenSoft and mild; children usually like the dumplings with butter and bacon.
  • ElderlySoft and easy to chew; the dumplings are gentle and the mash is smooth.
  • Pregnant womenFine as a dinner; make sure the dumplings are cooked right through. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Breastfeeding womenA filling, energy-rich dinner; the potato and bacon supply carbohydrate and protein.
  • AthletesA strong carbohydrate meal — about 83.5 g of carbohydrate per serving; add extra bacon for protein.
  • Weight gainA good choice for adding energy: the full portion with butter and bacon is filling and calorie-dense.
  • Weight lossKeep to two dumplings with extra rutabaga mash, and skip the melted butter.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesPotato is starchy, so keep to two dumplings and load the plate with rutabaga. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • High blood pressureThe bacon and salt make this plate salty — eat it occasionally and in a modest portion. Ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseHigh in sodium and potassium from the potatoes; ask your clinician before eating it.
  • GoutPotato-based and low in purines, but the bacon is not — keep the bacon portion small. Ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesDense and filling; eat slowly and in a modest portion if your stomach is sensitive. Ask your clinician.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseBacon and butter add saturated fat and sodium — a modest portion now and then is wiser. Ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverA rich, starchy meal; keep the portion modest and go easy on the butter. Ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains barley (gluten) and milk (butter). Naturally free of egg and fish.
  • Special therapeutic dietsNot suitable for gluten-free diets without swapping the barley flour for potato starch.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly and store the dumplings and mash in separate airtight containers.
In the fridge
Keeps 2 days in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below.
In the freezer
Up to 1 month; freeze the dumplings in a single layer, then bag.
How to reheat
Reheat the dumplings in simmering water for 8 to 10 minutes until steaming hot throughout, to 74°C (165°F); warm the mash and bacon separately.
Freezing recommended
Yes — cooked dumplings freeze well, though the texture softens a little.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, slimy surface, or grey discolouration through the potato.

More recipes to explore

A plate of farikal with lamb, cabbage and boiled potatoes in broth Norway flag Norway 2h 20m
Dinner •Norwegian Heritage

Fårikål

This fårikål recipe layers bone-in lamb and cabbage in a pot with whole black peppercorns, adds just enough water, and braises it slowly until the meat falls from the bone and the cabbage turns sweet and silky. Boiled potatoes and the cooking broth finish the plate. One serving is about 665 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Lamb and cabbage layered in a pot with whole peppercorns, braised until tender.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potatoes, flatbread & lingonberry jam
High Protein
A baked salmon fillet with herbs, crushed potatoes and peas on a white plate Norway flag Norway 45m
Dinner •Norwegian Heritage

Norwegian Salmon

This Norwegian salmon recipe bakes salmon fillets with garlic, lemon and fresh herbs until they flake, then serves them with a warm dill cream sauce, crushed potatoes and buttered peas. The fish stays moist, the sauce is light, and the whole plate comes together in under an hour. One serving is about 455 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Salmon fillets baked with garlic and herbs, served with a dill cream sauce, crushed potatoes and peas.

Pairs Well With
Dill cream sauce, crushed potatoes & buttered peas
High Protein
Bœuf bourguignon — French beef braised in red wine France flag France 4h
Dinner •Burgundy Terroir

Bœuf Bourguignon

Beef braised gently in red wine until the connective tissue melts into a velvet, gelatin-rich sauce — the classic Burgundy Sunday dinner.

Cellular Repair

Beef braised in red wine until spoon-tender, with mushrooms and pearl onions.

Pairs Well With
Parsnip Purée & Steamed French Haricots Verts
High Protein
Vietnamese braised pork belly with golden eggs in caramel sauce Vietnam flag Vietnam 1h 45m
Dinner •One Pot

Vietnamese Braised Pork and Eggs

Pork belly slowly braised in coconut water and caramel until meltingly tender, with golden eggs that soak up the sweet-savoury sauce — the Vietnamese family dish that tastes better the next day.

Comfort & Sustained Energy

Slow-braised pork belly and eggs in coconut water and caramel.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice & pickled mustard greens
High Protein

The Dinner Gazette

Never wonder what’s for dinner again

One email a week with easy dinner ideas from around the world — ingredients, steps and nutrition, tested in our kitchen first.

Delivered every Thursday morning. Unsubscribe anytime.