Czech Rajska Omacka (Sweet Tomato Sauce with Beef and Dumplings)

About This Recipe

Czech Rajska Omacka is a real, traditional Czech dish, known as Sweet Tomato Sauce with Beef and Dumplings. Tender beef simmered in a sweet-tangy tomato sauce, a nostalgic Czech comfort dish often served with bread dumplings or rice.\n\nRajska omacka, meaning 'paradise sauce', is a beloved Czech home-cooked dish, its distinctly sweetened tomato sauce reflecting a broader Central European tendency to balance tomato dishes with sugar rather than leaning purely savory.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Czech home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gbeef chuck(cubed)
• 3 tbsplard or neutral oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 800 gcrushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 3 tbspsugar
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 300 mlbeef stock
• 100 mlheavy cream
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 8bread dumplings (houskove knedliky)(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the beef

   Heat lard in a heavy pot and brown the beef cubes on all sides; set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the onion

   Add onion to the same pot, cooking until soft, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Build the sauce

   Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, then add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and stock.

4. 4

   Braise

   Return the beef to the pot, cover, and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beef is very tender.

5. 5

   Finish

   Stir in cream and simmer for 5 more minutes until the sauce is silky and glossy.

6. 6

   Serve

   Season with salt, adjusting the sweet-tangy balance to taste, and serve hot with bread dumplings.

Variations

• •

  Some households add a splash of lemon juice for extra brightness alongside the sugar.

• •

  Serve over rice instead of dumplings for a different presentation.

• •

  A version with meatballs instead of beef chunks is a common variation, especially popular with children.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions