Pelmeni
Pelmeni is considered Russia's national dish. They're meat-filled pastry dumplings wrapped in a thin, pasta-like dough. They can be eaten plain or in a soup broth, smeared in butter and topped with sour cream. In Russia and Eastern Europe, this is unquestionably a favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Filling:18 ounces ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- 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.
