Traditional Russian Pelmeni Food

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.

PELMENI RECIPE RUSSIAN DUMPLINGS (Пельмени)

Steps:

• Mix the flour and salt, place into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Crack the eggs into the flour. Using a fork, stir the eggs into the flour.
• Slowly add the water while kneading, until the dough forms a sticky ball.
• Continue to knead the dough on a floured surface until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
• Cover the dough with a bowl and allow to rest for about an hour.
• In a separate bowl, using your hands, mix the ground beef, onion, oil, water, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
• Roll out the dough about ⅛" thin on a lightly floured surface. I use a Kitchenaid Pasta Roller, usually on the 2nd thickness setting. Some people like it thinner, but I don't want the dough to tear. Using a 3" cookie cutter, cut out circles. Remix, roll out and reuse the extra dough to make more circles. Cover the dough that you aren't using so it doesn't dry out. Don't flour the surface (or very minimal), or the pelmeni won't seal properly. Keep the remaining dough under the upside down bowl to keep from drying out.
• Place about 1 teaspoon of beef filling in the centre of the circe. Carefully fold in half and pinch to seal the pelmeni shut. Careful not to have the filling touching the edges, or it won't seal and fall apart when cooking.
• Place the pelmeni on an uncovered tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Place the individually frozen pelmeni into a Ziplock bag for an easy dinner later.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with the bay leaves.
• Drop 25-30 pelmeni into the boiling water. Gently stir, to prevent the Pelmeni from sticking together.
• Simmer until the meat and dough is cooked approx 10 minutes. When you lift them out of the water and the cooked pelmeni 'wrinkles' or 'shrivels' then you know it's done. It will take a bit longer when using frozen pelmeni.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and serve with sour cream and dill.