Russian Pelmeni

This is a recipe Kelly acquired while a student in Madison.

Pelmeni belongs to the family of dumplings. They are closely related to Polish pierogi and vareniki - a Ukrainian variety of dumplings with a filling made of mashed potatoes or cottage cheese. They are also similar to Chinese jiaozi and potstickers. The main difference between pelmeni is that they are made with a meat filling. Pork, lamb, beef or any other meat can be used. Various spices such as pepper and onions are mixed into the filling.

2 1/2 c flour
1 c milk or water
1/2 ts salt
1 tb vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 pound beef
1/2 pound pork
1 onion
salt and pepper to taste

sour cream
Sriracha hot chili sauce (found in Asian aisle)
Rice vinegar
Curry powder (optional)
cilantro

Method:
1. Grind beef and pork twice in meat chopper. Then add chopped onion, salt, and pepper. To make mincemeat more tender and juicy, add a bit of milk. Reserve.

2. Mix flour with eggs and milk, salt and oil until a soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic.

3. Roll out dough on floured service until 1/16 inch thick.

4. Take a glass or a cup (2 inches in diameter) and cut circles out of the dough. Fill each circle with 1 teaspoon of the mincemeat, fold into half-moons.

5. Pinch edges together and connect the opposite sides. Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later ( you can keep them in the freezer for a long time), or cooked immediately.

6. To cook pelmeni, boil a large amount of water, as they can stick to each other. Carefully drop pelmeni into boiling water. When they float to the surface cook two more minutes. Then transfer to a pan with melted butter and saute until light browned.

5. mix equal parts of rice vinegar with Sriracha hot chili sauce or mix according to taste preference)

6. Put pelmeni in a bowl and top with cilantro, sour cream, curry powder and Sriracha mixture. Stir to cover all pelmeni.

Note: Sriracha hit chili sauce is spicy so you might want to try less and increase if you want spicier. Picture above does not have Sriracha mixture on it.