Siberian Pelmeni

About This Recipe

Pelmeni are Siberia's answer to ravioli — thumb-sized dumplings of paper-thin dough wrapped around a juicy mince of beef, pork, and onion. The genius lies in the cold: traditionally, Siberian families would shape hundreds in a single afternoon, then freeze them in sacks hung outside the dacha for the long winter, ready to drop into boiling broth at a moment's notice. Served slick with butter and pepper, splashed with vinegar, or smothered in cold smetana, pelmeni are the platonic ideal of cold-climate comfort food — fast, filling, and quietly addictive.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gall-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 largeeggs
• 150 mlice-cold water
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 250 gground beef (15% fat)
• 250 gground pork (20% fat)
• 1 largeonion, very finely grated
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced
• 3 tbspice water (into the filling)
• 1 tspsalt (for filling)
• 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbspunsalted butter, to serve
• smetana, malt vinegar, dill, and black pepper to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mound flour on a board. Make a well; add eggs, salt, oil, and most of the water. Mix with a fork, drawing in flour, then knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and quite firm. Wrap in plastic, rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make filling

   In a bowl, combine beef, pork, grated onion (with its juices), garlic, ice water, salt, and pepper. Mix vigorously with a fork or hand for 2 minutes until the mince looks pale and slightly sticky — this gives the filling its juicy bounce.

3. 3

   Roll dough

   Cut dough into four. Keep the rest covered. Roll one piece very thin (about 1.5 mm) on a lightly floured surface. Cut 6 cm rounds with a glass or cutter.

4. 4

   Fill

   Place ½ tsp filling in the center of each round. Fold into a half-moon, sealing the edges firmly. Pinch the two corners together behind the dumpling to form the signature ear shape. Lay on a floured tray, not touching.

5. 5

   Repeat or freeze

   Continue with remaining dough and filling. At this point pelmeni can be frozen on the tray, then bagged for up to 3 months.

6. 6

   Cook

   Bring a wide pot of well-salted water (or light broth) to a strong boil. Drop in pelmeni in batches — don't crowd. They sink, then float. From the moment they bob, cook 3–4 minutes.

7. 7

   Drain and dress

   Lift out with a slotted spoon. Drop into a warm bowl with melted butter and toss gently to coat. Crack over fresh black pepper.

8. 8

   Serve

   Serve hot with smetana, malt vinegar, and dill on the side, so each diner can finish theirs to taste.

Variations

• •

  Use lamb plus a pinch of cumin for an Ural-region twist.

• •

  Mushroom pelmeni for a vegetarian version (sauté minced mushrooms with onion until very dry).

• •

  Serve in clear chicken broth with dill — pelmeni v bul'one — a meal in itself.

Storage

Freeze raw, in single layers, then bag up to 3 months — cook from frozen, adding 1 extra minute. Cooked leftovers refrigerate 2 days; reheat in butter in a skillet.

Frequently Asked Questions