Chebureki Recipe 45

LENA'S CHEBUREKI RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix ground pork and ground beef together using Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment or by hand.
• Stir in the cilantro, parsley and green onion. Add salt, ground pepper and milk.

CHEBUREKI (Чебуреки)

Steps:

• To prepare the dough, place flour, salt, water and oil into a bowl. Mix together to make dough ball.
• Lightly sprinkle flour on working surface and knead the dough. Add more flour if necessary until dough is smooth, elastic and non-tacky. Flip a bowl over the dough and allow to rest for an hour.
• In a bowl, add ground beef, diced onions, salt and pepper, water and parsley.
• Using your hands, mix together ingredients until combined.
• Pinch small pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a tennis ball, and roll out thinly. Alternatively, roll the dough into a baton, and cut dough pieces.
• Roll the dough pieces into thin circles, about 6-8" round.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of meat over ½ of the dough, spreading evenly. Leave a ½" clean border around the meat.
• Fold the dough over the meat, forming a half moon. Press the edges to seal the Chebureki. Use a fork to press a pattern around the cheburek.
• Heat a generous ½" oil into a frying pan until hot. Fry the chebureki, 2 at at time ,for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn over each side when golden brown. If oil isn't hot enough, it will absorb into the cheburek and tasty oily.
• Remove to a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Serve immediately.

CHEBUREKI

Steps:

• Make the meat filling: Place the chopped onion in a food processor and process until it is very fine and has started to release moisture. Transfer the onion to a large bowl. Add the beef, pork, black pepper and salt, and mix very well. Gradually add kefir to the mixture and mix it into the meat using a spoon. The consistency should be pourable and almost soupy, not stiff. If necessary, add more kefir, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency. Cover mixture and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• Make the dough: Place 3 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Add the fine salt and mix with a fork. Add the water and mix until combined. Sprinkle a work surface with some of the remaining flour and knead in the rest of the flour little by little (you may not need all of it), until the dough is pliable and not sticky, about 15 minutes. (The dough should spring back when you make a slight indent with your finger.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour.
• Set up your frying station: Pour 2 inches of oil into a wok or a Dutch oven. Line a sheet pan with a wire rack and some paper towels to absorb any excess oil from the finished chebureki. Heat the oil over medium-high until the temperature reaches between 350 and 375 degrees.
• Divide the rested dough into 12 pieces and roll them into balls. (The dough should be pliable and shouldn't need much flour.) Flatten the pieces into disks and cover with plastic wrap so they don't dry out. Working with one piece at a time, lightly dust the counter with flour and roll out the dough into a very thin round about 8 inches in diameter. (You should be able to read text through the dough.)
• Place 3 level tablespoons of filling on one side of the round and spread it into a thin half-moon, leaving a 1-inch border around the filling. Make sure not to add too much filling! Overfilling increases the risk of leakage during frying.
• Fill a small bowl with water, and using your finger, dampen the edges of the whole round to help seal the cheburek. Fold the dough over the side with the filling, trying to make sure there are no air bubbles between the filling and the dough to help decrease the chance of bursting. Press the edges to seal tightly, then seal them completely with a fork. Use a pasta wheel or paring knife to trim off any uneven edges, if you like.
• Once the oil is at 350 degrees, carefully lower the shaped cheburek into the oil and fry until the dough is golden brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes per side. Using tongs or a large slotted spatula, transfer the fried cheburek to the rack. Repeat shaping, filling and frying with the remaining dough and filling.
• Let the cheburek cool slightly, then dig in! These are best eaten hot. Enjoy with a glass of ryazhanka or kefir.