Pelmeni
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 8-10
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for boiling water
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ – ¾ cup warm water
  • 2 medium onions
  • ½ lb ground beef
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 peppercorns
  • sour cream, to serve
  • vinegar, to serve
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse together flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Add in eggs and pulse. Add in water, ¼ cup at a time, until dough forms. Dough should be tough and elastic. Knead with your hands for 3-4 minutes. Place dough in a bowl coated with a little bit of olive oil and cover with a damp towel. Let dough sit for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In the food processor, puree the onions. Transfer to large bowl and mix with meat, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
  3. Once dough is ready, cut into quarters. Place three of the pieces back into the bowl and cover. Take the remaining piece of dough and roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/16 of an inch.
If using pelmeni mold:
  1. Place dough over pelmeni mold so there some overhang. Scoop ½-1 teaspoon of meat filling into each space. Roll out a second layer of dough and place on top of filling. Using a rolling pin, roll over the mold until the pelmeni are separated (you may need to pick them out manually if they don't fall out when you flip the mold over).
  2. Repeat with the remaining dough, including the scrap pieces.
If making by hand:
  1. Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut out circles with a 2 inch diameter. Take the scraps and return them to the bowl with the remaining dough. Scoop ½-1 teaspoon of meat into the center of each circle. Using your fingers, pinch the dough closed, making sure that the meat stays in the center of the dumpling. Repeat with the remaining dough, including the scrap pieces.
For both methods:
  1. Once you’ve sealed your pelmeni, put them into the freezer on a baking tray for at least ½ an hour. Note: transfer to an air tight container once frozen if you want to store them for longer.
  2. To cook, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Add in a bay leaf and peppercorns for taste. Drop pelmeni into water in batches, making sure not to overcrowd them. Cook until the dumplings float. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  3. Serve immediately with some vinegar and sour cream (about 1 teaspoon of each, but it’s a personal preference).
Recipe by Things I Made Today at https://www.thingsimadetoday.com/2014/01/13/pelmeni-russian-dumplings/