This component should be treated with special attention: it is the filling that most affects the taste of dumplings. Therefore, it is more reasonable to make meat minced meat yourself, rather than buying ready-made.
The classic recipe assumes equal parts of beef and pork (it is better to take fillets), onions, salt and pepper. So the dumplings turn out juicy and moderately fatty.
However, you can experiment as you like: mix minced meat with chicken or turkey, make dumplings only from poultry or cook minced fish.
Here are a few more options for filling dumplings.
Peel the mushrooms and boil them until tender. Then cut, fry in vegetable oil and pass through a meat grinder. Separately fry the finely chopped onion until golden brown. Mix it with mushroom minced meat, salt and pepper.
Pass the cottage cheese and cheese through a meat grinder, mix with finely chopped herbs. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper if desired.
The dough for dumplings should be dense, steep. Flour, water at room temperature and salt are enough for its preparation. Approximate ratio: 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Sift the flour, mix it with salt, make a slide with a recess and pour water into it. First, gently mix the flour with water. When they are connected, start kneading the dough by driving flour into it. The process may take 10-15 minutes or more.
The finished dough should not stick to your hands and spread. If the desired consistency is not achieved, add more flour.
From the finished dough it is necessary to form a ball, sprinkle with flour and let rest under a bowl or in a food film for 30-40 minutes.
Modeling of dumplings begins with the creation of dough blanks. You choose the size yourself, but it is better to aim for a diameter of 6-8 cm.
Cut a piece from the dough and roll it into a large layer. Using a clean glass, shot glass or other device of the desired diameter, cut out the blanks.
This method allows you to quickly make several blanks of the same size. But it is bad because not all the dough is consumed (although the remains can be rolled up and used for a new layer), and also because the dough may not be thin enough (a large layer is more difficult to roll out).
If you like thin dough, the second method will suit you.
Cut a small part from the dough, roll the sausage out of it and cut into equal pieces. Dip them in flour and roll them out separately.
This method is more time-consuming, but the dough can be made as thin as you want. Remember: during operation, the main part of the dough must be kept closed so that it does not dry out.
After the blanks are prepared, you can proceed directly to the formation of dumplings.
1. Put 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough.
2. Connect the sides to make a crescent moon. Make sure that there are no gaps and holes.
3. Fasten the ends of the crescent.
4. The dumpling is ready. It remains only to put it on a floured tray, board or baking sheet .
The easiest way to make dumplings is with a special device — a dumpling maker.
Roll out the dough and put it on the bottom side (the one with more flour on it) on a dumpling dish, also sprinkled with flour. The dough should lie freely, without tension. Put ½ teaspoon of filling into the formed pits.
From above, cover the workpiece with a second layer of dough with the sticky side to the minced meat. Then sprinkle flour on the rolling pin and roll out the workpiece. The more effort you put in, the better.
If everything is done correctly, the dumplings themselves will fall out of shape.
Heat the water in a large saucepan, add salt, bay leaf and allspice. When the water boils, carefully lower the dumplings into it, mix so that they do not stick to the bottom. When the water with the dumplings starts to boil again, turn down the heat and cook for 5-7 minutes.
If the dumplings have been frozen, the cooking time can be increased by 1-2 minutes.
Pour a glass of vegetable oil into a saucepan or a small saucepan. Heat it well and then carefully lower 15-20 dumplings inside. When the dumplings are fried until golden brown, take them out, dry them on paper towels and serve them to the table. Similarly, you can fry the dumplings in a deep fryer.
Lubricate the pot with oil, put the dumplings inside and add the remaining oil. Sprinkle with chopped herbs, pour sour cream, add grated cheese and cover the pot with a lid. Cook in a preheated 200 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
