Pelmeni

My husband served his mission in Russia and one of his favorite foods on his mission was pelmeni (little meat filled dumplings). I made a big batch of pelmeni years ago, but because it was so difficult and time consuming I haven't made them since. Then I saw this pelmeni mold on the internet and wanted to try again so I got it (you can find anything on ebay, I tell you) and made a big batch last week end. The process was so much easier with the mold! And they turned out GREAT. The little dumplings were so cute and of course yummy! This is a great freezer meal!

Pelmeni

Dough:
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixer combine 1 1/2 cups flour, eggs, water and salt and mix adding more flour as needed till a fairly stiff dough forms - you want it to be easy to handle. Form dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.


Filling:
1 lb ground pork (or a mixture of pork and beef)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

Mix all together in a large bowl and set aside.


The Process:
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Grease the pelmini mold well with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Take one portion of dough and roll it out on a well floured surface until it fits the mold. Place rolled out dough on the mold. Fill all the little indentations with meat mixture (I used a small melon-baller to help me scoop out the meat in consistent portions). Roll out another portion of dough to the size of the mold and lay it over the mold. Run a rolling pin over the top of the mold to form all the little dumplings. Pull off the excess dough from the outer rim and form it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Pick up the mold, turn it over and bang like a tambourine to get all the little dumplings out - if you've greased the mold well they should come out when you shake it well. Repeat this process with the other 2 portions of dough. Then with the 2 balls of excess dough (the scraps from around the edge of the mold) you should be able to make a full or partial third batch. The dough will be tougher to roll out, but it can be done!

To Freeze:
Place pelmini on lightly floured wax paper covered cookie sheet and place in freezer. When pelmeni are frozen transfer them to ziplock bags (I ended up with 90 pelmini - enough for 2 dinner for my family).
To cook:
Place frozen pelmini in salted boiling water (or water with chicken bouillon added for extra flavor) and boil till they float. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill or melted butter and vinegar (we like the sour cream and dill way).