Pelmeni Recipes

PELMENI

Steps:

• For the dough: Place the flour, cold water, oil and salt in a food processor and process until a smooth dough ball forms, about 5 minutes. Cover and set aside.
• For the filling: Combine the beef, pork, onions and garlic in a bowl, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix well.
• Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of the meat mixture and boil just until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool before tasting. Adjust the seasoning of the meat mixture as needed with salt and pepper. Once adjusted, keep the filling in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and roll each portion out to 1/8-inch thick over a lightly floured surface, making sure its size is at least 2 inches bigger than the pelmeni mold. Place a layer of dough over the pelmeni mold and place a spoonful of filling over each hole. Lay another piece of dough on top and seal, pressing tightly.
• Place the finished pelmeni on a floured board and let rest for 1 hour, uncovered.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and gently place the pelmeni in the water. Cook until the pelmeni float, then cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and place on a large platter.
• To garnish: Stir the sour cream and vinegar together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the dumplings and garnish with the paprika and some hot sauce.

PELMENI (RUSSIAN-STYLE BEEF DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• For the filling: Combine the beef, salt, pepper and onion in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and slowly mix together.
• For the dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Add flour and salt to the cleaned bowl of a stand mixer and slowly mix. Add water and oil. Mix completely. Knead the dough into a ball, then roll into a log shape.
• Slice a thin piece of dough and roll into a thin 4-inch round. Place 1 tablespoon beef mixture in the center of the dough circle. Fold circle into a half-moon and seal the edges. Bend the dumplings while pinching center and bringing the edges together. (Shape will be similar to a tortellini.) Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to help them hold their shape.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dumplings; they will rise to the top once they are finished cooking.
• Plate and garnish with fresh green onion, dill, salt, pepper and sour cream.

RUSSIAN PELMENI

Steps:

• Combine egg, vegetable oil, and salt in a measuring cup; add enough water to fill to 1 cup. Pour into a bowl, add 3 cups flour, and knead into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes.
• Dust a baking sheet lightly with 1 tablespoon flour.
• Combine ground beef, onion, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix filling thoroughly by hand or using a fork.
• Roll out a portion of the dough very thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or a wine glass. Keep the rest of the dough covered with a towel to avoid drying out. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling on one side of the dough circle. Fold dough over and seal the edges using fingers, forming a crescent. Join the ends and pinch them together. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Freeze pelmeni for 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking together.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a simmer and drop small batches of frozen pelmeni into simmering water. Cook and stir until the meat is cooked and pelmeni float to the top, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to serving plates using a slotted spoon.

SIBERIAN PELMENI

Steps:

• Sieve flour into a heap with a small well on the top. Gradually beat in the eggs, salt and add water little by little to form a dough. Mix and kneed it well for a few minutes, so that it is quite tight. Leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Mix the mince with finely chopped onion, salt and pepper. Stir in vegetable oil and mix well.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out into medium flat discs, about 2 mm thick. Cut out small round discs, about 6-7 cm in diameter, using a glass. Spoon a 1 tsp of mince into a dough disc, and pinch the edges together, so that the dumpling forms a half-moon shape. Make sure the edges are well pinched together. Place the dumplings on a plastic tray, leaving the space between them, and freeze for at least 24 hours.
• Boil a good amount of water, adding a little salt. Boil the frozen pelmeni, until they float on the surface - that's when they are ready. Drain them with a spoon and serve with melted butter, chopped dill, mustard, sour cream or vinegar.

SIBERIAN PELMENI DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add a pinch of salt, the egg and 100ml water, gradually mixing the flour into it with your hands to form a firm dough. Knead well for 5-7 mins. Cover and chill for 30 mins. In the meantime prepare your fillings.
• Thoroughly mix the meat filling ingredients together in a large bowl with a pinch of salt.
• To make the vegetable filling, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms, onion, garlic and parsley with the soy sauce for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and stir through the pine nuts and some salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool before handling.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to 1.5mm-thick sheets. For the best results, use a pasta machine.
• Cut out discs of the dough that are about 4-6cm in diameter using a shot glass or pastry cutter. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each disc, then use a wet finger to brush lightly onto the dough around the filling. Fold each in half to make a half-moon shape, pressing down to seal. Fold the dumpling again so that the pointed edges of the moon are stuck together. The dumplings can be cooked immediately or frozen in flat layers in freezer bags to be cooked at a later date, using the same method as below but increasing the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
• To cook, bring about 3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan, adding the bay leaves and stock cube. Add the dumplings to the boiling broth in batches of around 10, then cook for 5 mins. They are ready when they float to the surface. The meat ones may take a few minutes more than the veg.
• Ladle the pelmeni into soup bowls with the cooking broth, topping them with the dill, soured cream and black pepper. If you prefer to have them without the broth, use a slotted spoon to move them to a bowl, adding a generous dollop of butter with the dill, soured cream and black pepper.

PELMENI

Steps:

• Mix ground chicken, onion, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.
• Sift all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour together in a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Whisk milk and egg together in a small bowl. Pour over flour mixture; mix until dough comes together.
• Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Knead, adding the remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, until dough is elastic. Divide dough into 4 pieces.
• Roll out 1 piece dough to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut into circles with a 2-inch cookie cutter or water glass. Place 1 teaspoon chicken mixture in the center. Brush edges with water. Fold over into a half-moon shape and seal edges. Repeat with remaining dough and chicken mixture.
• Fill a large pot with water; add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cook pelmeni in batches until they float to the top, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon.

MEAT-FILLED DUMPLINGS (PELMENI)

Steps:

• 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.