From Japanese potstickers, to Chinese dim sum, to Mongolian buuz, to mantii in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, to Russian pelmeni, pierogi in Poland, varenyky in Ukraine and Romania, nokedli in Hungary, a common favourite across this vast area, and all of which to us means…… dumplings!
The not so humble dumpling, in our opinion, can be filled with meat, seafood, cheese, potatoes, sauteed cabbage, mushrooms, and more! They are everything we want them to be, tender and juicy, warming and comforting, filling and tasty, even celebratory and simply delicious fried, steamed or boiled. Many countries serve dumplings for special occasions. For example, in Mongolia they celebrate New Year with dumplings! Dumplings are also enjoyed in these countries as street food.
The dumplings we are more familiar with are mostly unfilled and served in soups or stews, and we understand why the thought of preparing our own filled dumplings is a bit scary to most of us, they do look a bit fiddly, but they are so worth the effort and the best thing is they can be frozen to be enjoyed later with family and friends. Worth a try!
Easy Homemade Pierogies
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil / butter
- 1/4 cup warm water (may need up to 1/2 cup water)
Spicy Ground Pork
- 500g ground pork
- 1 tablespoon /sweet/hot paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon mustard (your favourite)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground marjoram
- 1 teaspoon ground Bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- Pinch of salt
- mix well ahead of time and refrigerate
Instructions
To make the dough:
- In a food processor, add flour, salt, egg and oil and pulse a few times. Then slowly stream in ¼ cup of water until a ball forms.
- Remove dough and knead a few times on a lightly floured surface. Then wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- While dough rests, prepare the fillings (recipe follows).
- After dough has chilled, cut dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 9 inch round circle and about ¼ inch thick.
- Use a cup or round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Re-use scraps to roll out at the end.
- Place about a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the circle. Wet the edge of the circle to help seal the dumplings. Use a fork to crimp them close. Place pierogies on a parchment lined baking sheet while you finish the rest.
- Boil 4-5 filled pierogies at a time in light boiling water. You know they are ready when pierogies float to the top. Meat pierogies take a bit longer, 6-8 minutes.
- You can pan fry in a non-stick skillet until golden brown.
Vegan Gyoza Dumplings
Vegan Dumpling Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour or sub 1 ½ cups fine white rice flour (200g) + ¾ cup tapioca starch (80g) if gluten free
- ½ tsp salt
- 2/3 cup (160ml) hot water (if making this gluten free, you’ll need 1-2 tbsp more water (180ml in total) + 1 tbsp oil for a smoother consistency)
- Cornstarch or all-purpose flour for dusting the work surface
Vegetable Filling – finely chop and sauté in oil until tender. Leave to cool.
- 1-2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon mustard (your favourite)
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 onion
- 1 (100g) carrot
- 7 oz (200g) mushrooms
- ½ stick leek (60g)
- 7 oz (200g) cabbage
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
The process is the same as the Pierogies to prepare and fill.
Cooking Instructions
Heat the oil in pan over medium heat. Add the gyoza and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are nicely browned. Pour in about ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Steam for 7-8 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauces
For more recipes or info visit www.spiceandeasycyprus.com or call us on +357 99104622
