Making Russian Pelmeni

This a repost originally posted on April 20, 2011

Salam to all,

Today our guest post comes from my amazing best friend.. She is from Turkmenistan and knows many Russian recipes. I was lucky enough to try these when her dear mom was here visiting, talk about AUTHENTIC! These are amazingly delicious and super simple to make, I encourage everyone to try it!!

I’ll leave you with her post:

Here we go… Bismilahi Rahman Rahim! This recipe will be very different from EmMalik’s dishes. First of all, it is a popular Russian dish called Pelmeni. Russian food is very different from the middle eastern cooking primarily because it does not require all those exotic spices. Russian dishes are easy jjjo

to cook and do not demand much skill or special ingredients. Salt, pepper, fresh dill will do the job 🙂 For some (my husband included) it’s a little bland. However, this dish is an exeption and is very popular. So let’s get to business:

There are 4 steps to making pelmeni: 1) Making the dough, 2) Making the filling and 3) Assembling the pelmeni. 4) Cooking/boiling pelmeni

Step 1: Dough

Dough ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 cups of warm water, 4 cupIf you have a bread maker, this step should be simple and fast. I dont, therefore sift the flour in

a bowl and make a dimple in the middle. Crack eggs and add salt, then gradually add water and knead the dough vigorously in a bowl.

When the dough gets sticky, sift some flour on the clean surface: transfer the dough and knead some more till it becomes soft, elastic and not sticky. Then divine into 2 pieces, put in a bowl and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel

Step 2) Filling

1 lb ground beef, 1 medium size inion finely chopped, 2 small cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper to taste. You can add any other spices if you wish. Mix everything togeth

Step 3: Assembling pelmeni – the fun part.
Take one piece of the dough and roll it into a big circle (about 3mm thick)

Take a round cookie cutter or medium size glass and cut circles until all dough is gone

Take each circle, put one full teaspoon of filling, pinch the edges and then fold two ends together. Stack each finsihed pelmen’ (that’s singular for pelmeni) on a slightly floured tray:

While you are finishing up making pelmeni, fill a pot with water (about half full). Let it boil. Add 1 – 2 cubes of chicken broth. When the water boils, add enough pelmeni. They are ready when they are floating on the top for 5 minutes.

Take out pelmeni using a skimmer. Some prefer broth in their pelmeni, others eat just the pelmeni served with sour cream and fresh dill.

Once the dough gets sticky, sift some flour on a clean surfaceand knead some more until its soft and not sticky:

Pita bread attempt #1

Pita bread attempt #1: Najat’s Kitchen recipe

Based off of a recipe I posted about on September 27, 2010 here

 
find the  original recipe video here : part 1 & part 2

Nur and I wanted to make pita bread .. So we followed the directions and started kneading and rolling (not really , i used my kitchenaid )

the pics just show how the dough looked like in each step..
i think I rolled them too thin and didnt leave them to rise long enough.

BUT,  THE TASTE WAS AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
i loved this bread and will try it again to perfect it..

it has wheat in it..

i’ll leave you with the pics..

Added all ingredients together, followed video instructions and left in Kitchenaid dough mixer for 10 minutes.

Lightly cover with oil and then cover with clear wrap.

Cover with a blanket or large towel, I left it 1 hr 15 min to rise.

Forming the dough balls.

Make sure tiny hands can’t reach.

Left 30 mins to rise

Make flat circles with a rolling pin.

Try not to go any thinner than this

Place the ready circles on a spread-ed blanket on the counter/table you are working on. Cover them continuously.

when your done, cover them, let rise for 30 mins. they will be this thick.

Oven on at 450 for 30 mins with baking tray inside. So it will be nice and hot, once you place the dough on it, it will puff up like this. So exciting!

Not all of them puffed up as i had hoped.

Not so pretty, but beats store bought any day! I need to work on my oven skills. and the oven temperatures. and my rolling skills, and my rising skills, and my……….. ok I’ll stop.

 hopefully yours will turn out better! i will try to make this again soon!

Guest Post: Making Russian Pelmeni…

Salam to all, 

Today our guest post comes from my amazing best friend.. She is from Turkmenistan and knows many Russian recipes. I was lucky enough to try these when her dear mom was here visiting, talk about AUTHENTIC! These are amazingly delicious and super simple to make, I encourage everyone to try it!!

I’ll leave you with her post:

                                                  

Here we go… Bismilahi Rahman Rahim! This recipe will be very different from EmMalik’s dishes. First of all, it is a popular Russian dish called Pelmeni. Russian food is very different from the middle eastern cooking primarily because it does not require all those exotic spices. Russian dishes are easy to cook and do not demand much skill or special ingredients. Salt, pepper, fresh dill will do the job 🙂 For some (my husband included) it’s a little bland. However, this dish is an exeption and is very popular. So let’s get to business:

There are 4 steps to making pelmeni: 1) Making the dough, 2) Making the filling and 3) Assembling the pelmeni. 4) Cooking/boiling pelmeni

Step 1: Dough

Dough ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 cups of warm water, 4 cupIf you have a bread maker, this step should be simple and fast. I dont, therefore sift the flour in

a bowl and make a dimple in the middle. Crack eggs and add salt, then gradually add water and knead the dough vigorously in a bowl.

When the dough gets sticky, sift some flour on the clean surface: transfer the dough and knead some more till it becomes soft, elastic and not sticky. Then divine into 2 pieces, put in a bowl and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel

  

Step 2) Filling

1 lb ground beef, 1 medium size inion finely chopped, 2 small cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper to taste. You can add any other spices if you wish. Mix everything togeth

Step 3: Assembling pelmeni – the fun part.

Take one piece of the dough and roll it into a big circle (about 3mm thick)

Take a round cookie cutter or medium size glass and cut circles until all dough is gone

 

Take each circle, put one full teaspoon of filling, pinch the edges and then fold two ends together. Stack each finsihed pelmen’ (that’s singular for pelmeni) on a slightly floured tray:

  

While you are finishing up making pelmeni, fill a pot with water (about half full). Let it boil. Add 1 – 2 cubes of chicken broth. When the water boils, add enough pelmeni. They are ready when they are floating on the top for 5 minutes.

Take out pelmeni using a skimmer. Some prefer broth in their pelmeni, others eat just the pelmeni served with sour cream and fresh dill.

                                                                       

I think those little pelmeni are the cutest thing in the world! Thanks so much for the efforts and yumminess you’ve delivered to us today! 🙂