Pilmeni (Savory Dumplings)
Thinly rolled dough rounds filled with seasoned ground beef served with a dollop of yogurt and fresh dill
The perfect dish as we move into cooler temperatures - pilmeni, a traditionally Russian dumpling that I interpreted based on what was in my fridge and preferred flavor profile.
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients
Yields about 2 dozen dumplings - once dumplings are prepared, you can freeze a batch before boiling for quick meals later!
1 cup (175 grams) all-purpose flour (or wheat flour of your choice)
1 egg
1/4 cup warm water
pinch of salt
For the filling
1 lbs. of uncooked ground meat (I used beef in this recipe, but it’s a nice flavor when combining minced pork and beef)
1 yellow onion, minced
1 garlic clove (optional)
tablespoon of dill
salt & pepper
Process
In a medium size bowl add flour, egg, salt and half of the water. Using your hand, slowly begin mixing all the ingredients together adding a sprinkle of water as you go until the desired textured is achieved. We are looking for a dough that is smooth but not sticky and not too dry, it will take practice to find that right balance of flour : water ratio so when the dough is rolled out thinly it doesn’t stick to the board and also doesn’t tear. The key to a good dumpling is to roll the dough thinly enough that it holds the ingredients and doesn’t tear when boiled. If the dough is too thick it overtakes the meaty aspect of this savory dish and we are looking for the perfect coupling of dough and meat, the ingredients should complement one another.
In a separate bowl, mix uncooked beef with minced onion, add salt and pepper with dill until well combined.
A cookie cutter comes in handy when you need multiple circles of dough, however I didn’t have one so a glass could also serve this purpose or in my case, I pinched off cherry tomato size pieces of dough and rolled them out individually using a small wine bottle wrapped in plastic (because I didn’t have a rolling pin either - the joys of cooking in an AirBnB in a foreign country).
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once you have sufficient dough pieces thinly rolled out, place a tablespoon of the meat filling onto the dough and fold the dough in half, covering the filling. Use a fork to pinch the edges of the dough and set aside. Continue forming the dumplings until all the meat and/or dough is used up.
Once the water is boiling, work in batches and slowly drop one dumpling at a time into the water. Allow the dumplings to boil until they float to the top, then using a slotted spoon remove from the pot and set aside to dry continuing to drop dumplings one by one until all desired batches are cooked.
An additional step that adds to the texture and flavor that I love is to sear the dumpling with butter in a skillet and then serve immediately with a side of yogurt.
Side salad to accompany and a fine glass of wine.
