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Pelmeni (пельмени in Russian, singular pelmen,
пельмень; пяльмені in Belarusian) are a traditional Eastern European (mainly
Russian) dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough (made
out of flour and eggs, sometimes with milk or water added). |
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Left: Pelmeni. |
For filling, pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat can
be used; mixing several kinds is popular. The traditional Ural recipe requires
the filling be made with 45% of beef, 35% of lamb, and 20% of pork.
Traditionally, various spices, such as pepper, onions, and garlic, are mixed
into the filling.
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Russians seem to have learned to make pelmeni from Finnic and
Tatar peoples of the Taiga, the Urals and Siberia. The word means "ear-shaped
bread" in Finnic languages such as Udmurt and Komi. In Siberia they were made in
large quantities and stored safely frozen outside for several winter months. |
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Left: Making pelmeni. |
By the late 19th century, they became a staple throughout
urban European Russia. They are
prepared immediately before eating by boiling in water until they float, and
then 2–5 minutes more. The resulting dish is served with butter and/or sour
cream (mustard, horseradish, and vinegar are popular as well). Some recipes
suggest frying pelmeni after boiling until they turn golden brown.
Pelmeni belong to the family of dumplings. Akin to
vareniki: Ukrainian variety of dumplings
with filling made of mashed potatoes, farmer's cheese, or cherries, to mention
the most popular three. They are not dissimilar to Chinese potstickers, Tibetan
mo-mo and Italian ravioli. The main difference between pelmeni and other kinds
of dumplings is in their shape and size—typical pelmen' is roughly spherical and
is about 2 to 3 cm in diameter, whereas most other types of dumplings are
usually elongated and much larger.
