National Dish Russia: Pelmeni (Recipe)
In this article
Pelmeni are small meat dumplings, boiled and eaten with soured cream or vinegar. In Siberia they were made in enormous batches in autumn and frozen outdoors in sacks, then thrown into boiling water as needed through the winter.
About Pelmeni
The dough is thin, the filling is raw minced meat with onion, and they are boiled rather than steamed. The name comes from Komi or Udmurt, meaning ear-bread, which describes the shape.
Traditionally three meats: beef, pork and lamb. The filling stays raw when they are shaped, which is why the meat must be very fresh.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 200 ml cold water
- 200 g minced meat (beef or pork)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: a handful of chopped herbs of your choice
Shopping for the ingredients
Fresh mince, ideally minced that day, since it goes into the dumplings raw. A mix of beef and pork gives better texture than either alone. Plain flour and cold water; the dough should be firm rather than soft.
Preparing the dish
Rest the dough thirty minutes so it rolls thin without springing back. Add a spoonful of cold water or grated onion juice to the filling, which keeps it moist. Roll the dough genuinely thin: you should almost see the filling through it.
Step-by-step instructions
- Combine the flour, egg, melted butter and salt in a bowl, then gradually add the cold water and knead to a firm, smooth dough. Rest it 30 minutes.
- Mix the minced meat with the finely chopped onion, salt, pepper and a spoonful of cold water.
- Roll the dough out thinly on a floured surface and cut out small circles.
- Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each, fold into a half-moon and pinch the edges, then bring the two corners together and pinch.
- Drop them into plenty of boiling salted water and cook for 5–7 minutes, until they float and the dough is tender.
- Serve hot with soured cream, butter, vinegar or a broth.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
The dough is wheat; a gluten-free pasta dough works but tears more readily. Use oil rather than butter and skip the soured cream for lactose-free.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Mushroom vareniki are the established meat-free relative and are a real Russian dish. Potato, cabbage or curd fillings are all traditional in vareniki, which are the larger Ukrainian-influenced cousin.
More tips and tricks
Roll the dough as thin as you can. Add liquid to the filling. Freeze them raw on a tray before bagging, which is what makes them a store-cupboard staple. And cook them from frozen; they need no thawing.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Serve them in a clear broth rather than drained, which is the Siberian way. Butter and black pepper is the minimalist version. Vinegar rather than soured cream divides opinion strongly.
Ingredient substitutions
Beef, pork, lamb or a mix. Grated onion rather than chopped gives a smoother filling. Bought dumpling wrappers work at some cost.
Drink pairing ideas
Vodka, cold, in small glasses. A dark beer works. Black tea afterwards.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve them in a bowl with soured cream and dill, or floating in their cooking broth. Butter and pepper if you want them plain. They are eaten with a spoon and there is no arranging involved.
A bit of history
Pelmeni came into Russian cooking from the Finno-Ugric peoples of the Urals and probably before that from Chinese dumplings via the steppe. Their real advantage was frozen storage: a Siberian household could make thousands in October and eat them until spring. They anchor Russian cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Pelmeni
Pelmeni are small dumplings of raw minced meat in thin dough, boiled and served with soured cream. Roll the dough very thin, add water to the filling, and freeze them raw in batches.
