Meat-Filled Dumplings (Pelmeni)

"I discovered these dumplings during a short stay in Siberia. These savory little nuggets are what frozen food is all about! Needless to say, in the winter months, refrigeration is not needed. Huge bags are filled with foods and simply stored outside during the interminable winter months. The pelmeni are simply taken out of the bag, popped into a beef or chicken broth or they can be fried in butter. I prefer the boiling method as stated in this recipe. Pelmeni is usually eaten with the inevitable sour cream and maybe with a sprinkle of dill."
 
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photo by luv_cats photo by luv_cats
photo by luv_cats
photo by luv_cats photo by luv_cats
Ready In:
3hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
12
Yields:
100 pelmeni
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ingredients

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directions

  • Using a food processor, blend the flour with the salt. With the motor still running, add the egg through the feed tube, then pour in the water in a slow, steady stream, until the dough forms a ball around the blade.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with a cotton cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.
  • Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until they are thoroughly mixed.
  • Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. Keep one covered with the cloth while working with the other.
  • On the floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a very thin sheet, about 1/16th inch thick, making sure it doesn’t tear. With a round cookie cutter, cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter. Gather the scraps together into a ball and set aside, covered.
  • In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil over high heat.
  • Set a bowl of the beaten egg white near you.
  • Place a scant teaspoon of the filling toward the bottom of one circle. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg white and press the edges firmly together with the tines of a fork to seal.
  • Boil the one dumpling for 10 minutes to taste the filling for seasoning.
  • Fill and shape the remaining rounds, arranging the dumplings as they are made on a lightly floured baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
  • The pelmeni are usually frozen at this point. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer until they are completely frozen. When frozen, transfer the pelmeni to a plastic bag.
  • To cook the pelmeni, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Drop in half the pelmeni and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface and are cooked through, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pelmeni to a colander and drain well. Transfer to a deep serving bowl and toss with the butter.
  • Cook the remaining pelmeni the same way.

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Reviews

  1. this recipe looks really authentic. I am from Russia and i made pelmeni many different ways. The easiest - when u have right tools. if you dont, than ravioly maker will help a lot. or - buy chinese dumplings sheets and use them. Filling is what really makes this dish. BWY, you can add mushrooms to the recipe - i love it:) Also, you can freese them and boil later. They keep for weeks! My BF likes them with mix of ketchup and hot sauce:)
     
  2. Honestly useing a food processor is useless. I make these a lot and am able to do it entirely by hand. It is also easier to take the flour and add it to the water and eggs, that way you can't really go wrong with the ratio of dough to meat
     
  3. I've been looking for this recipe for years! I had fond memories of eating these as a child but no idea what was actually in them. I have to say that three cups of flour weren't nearly enough for my noodle dough -- it was so sticky and gooey I couldn't even get it out of the food processor. Between getting it out of the food processor and kneading it I probably added another 1 1/2 cups! I'm really surprised that none of the other reviewers seem to have had that problem... once the dough was ok, though, everything else went fine. The pelmeni I grew up with weren't folded in half, they were little envelopes of meat (a square folded into a triangle with the meat in the middle, then the points folded over), so I made mine like that. I also left out the onion and added 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp mixed herbs, and boiled them in broth rather than water. With the butter and sour cream, they were perfect, exactly the way I remember them. Thanks for posting this -- I'm so grateful to have this recipe!
     
  4. This was delicious! I forgot to include the ice, but it still worked out fine, and tasted delicious. My 3 kids devoured them!
     
  5. This looks great! I haven't made it yet, but I think I will in the near future. This recipe reminds me of an Armenian dish, very similar to this called [i] mante [/i].
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Retired world traveler. I have collected recipes from many of the places I have been. Not the recipes from the local 5 star restaraunts but the cuisine that the REAL people eat! Lots of interesting stuff out there people eat! Love to try out those recipes I have collected now that I have the time. Only problem is finding the original ingredients. <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/200_PACpic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
 
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