Lamb Dumplings Recipes

SPRING LAMB PAN-FRIED DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine lamb, garlic, green onions, chile pepper, peas, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cumin in a bowl. Mix with 2 forks, starting on the surface of the mixture, until ingredients are evenly combined. Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 hours, or up to overnight.
• Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and mint together in a bowl for dipping sauce. Refrigerate until needed.
• Combine beaten egg and water in a small bowl. Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper with some of the egg wash. Drop 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling in the center. Fold over and press edges together while squeezing out any air bubbles. Continue with remaining wrappers and filling. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
• Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Fry batches of dumplings in the hot butter until meat is no longer pink and dumplings are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.

LAMB AND GREEN SQUASH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the peppercorns in ⅓ cup of lukewarm water for at least 1 hour, then strain out and discard the peppercorns. Wrap the zucchini in a clean cheesecloth or tea towel and squeeze to wring out excess moisture.
• In a medium bowl, add the lamb and slowly pour in the peppercorn-infused water, a few drops at a time, and use your hands to mix it in well until the water is fully absorbed. Add the scallions, wine, ginger, soy sauce, and salt, and mix well until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the zucchini and mix until well combined.
• Holding a wrapper in your palm, use a fork to add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to the center of the wrapper, then lightly pat down the filling with the fork to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Fold the dumpling into a half-moon, pinching it shut with your thumbs and index fingers, then press the center of the dumpling while pulling on the corners to push out any air bubbles and shape it into a curved crescent. Inspect the dumpling for any holes and pinch them shut. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers to make 24 dumplings.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, vinegar, and 1 cup of water until combined to make a slurry. Brush the oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add 6 dumplings with the sealed edges lying flat in the pan, spacing them 1 inch apart, then slowly pour in just enough of the slurry to come one-third of the way up the dumplings. Partially cover the pan, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.
• Increase the heat to high and cook for 2 minutes for cast iron (1 minute for nonstick). Lower the heat to medium for 2 minutes for cast iron (3 minutes for nonstick). Then lower the heat to low for 2 to 3 minutes for cast iron (3 minutes for nonstick).
• Cook until the water has evaporated, leaving a paper-thin disk of golden-brown starch on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and slide a thin, flexible spatula around the rim of the pan to loosen the edges of the starch disk, then carefully slide the spatula underneath and flip the disk onto a plate in one piece, crispy side up. Serve immediately, then clean the skillet and repeat with the remaining dumplings.

LAMB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Make the chile sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine tomato paste, vinegar, oil, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened and reduced by one-third. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauce may be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.
• Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, oil, salt, egg, and 3/4 cup water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and slightly sticky, about 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 32 equal pieces. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet and your hands with oil. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to roll into a ball. Transfer to baking sheet, then repeat process with remaining dough. Drizzle balls with additional oil, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 3 hours.
• Make the filling: Melt ghee in a medium skillet over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until just softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and sumac and cook until fragrant. Add lamb and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in raisins and pine nuts. Remove from heat and let cool slightly; stir in mint. Let cool to room temperature.
• Working with one ball of dough at a time, place ball on surface and use your fingertips to flatten into a 4-inch round. Place 1 heaping tablespoon lamb filling into the center of the round. Fold dough over filling to enclose, forming a half moon. Pinch edges together, crimping to tightly seal. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
• Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry dumplings until crisp and golden all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet; let drain. Serve dumplings warm with chile sauce.

CENTRAL ASIAN BEEF AND LAMB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Thinly slice lamb and beef, then finely dice. Transfer to a bowl and add onion and cilantro.
• Grind cumin with mortar and pestle or in grinder and stir into meat mixture. Chill, covered,2 hours.
• Blend flour, salt, and eggs in a food processor until crumbly. With motor running, add water and blend until dough just begins to form a ball. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Wrap dough in wax paper and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Halve dough and rewrap 1 half. Roll out remaining half on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut out rounds (about 16) with cutter and cover rounds with wax paper. Discard scraps. Stir salt and pepper into filling. Lay a clean kitchen towel on a work surface and dust with flour.
• Keeping remaining rounds covered, hold 1 round in palm of your hand and put a scant tablespoon of filling in center. Moisten edge of round with a finger dipped in water and fold round in half to form a half-moon, pinching edges together to seal. Put on flour-dusted towel. Repeat with rest of rounds, then with other half of dough.
• Cook dumplings in 2 batches in a large pot of boiling salted water, turning occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to plates and serve immediately.