Pelmeni

Pelmeni(Russian:пельмени,pronounced[pʲɪlʲˈmʲenʲɪ];sg.pelmen,пельмень,pronounced[pʲɪlʲˈmʲenʲ]) aredumplingsofRussian cuisinethat consist of a filling wrapped in thin, unleaveneddough. They are considered to be anational dish.
Pelmeni became a staple of Russian cuisine during the period of Russian expansion into theUral MountainsandSiberia.Pelmeni also have deep roots in the traditions and folklore of theKomiregion of northwest Russia and figure prominently inKomi cuisine.The name itself was borrowed from the language of theKomi-Permyaks.
The dough is made fromflourandwater, sometimes adding a small portion ofeggs.
Pelmeni can be served in several ways; for example, they can be cooked in stock, or they can be cookedconsomméand served in a bowl with soup.Pelmeni can be served as a main dish for lunch or dinner, either smothered in butter or prepared Siberian-style, which involves sprinkling them with vinegar and adding freshly ground pepper for extra flavor.
The filling can beminced meat(pork,lamb,beef,fishor any other kind of meat,venisonbeing particularly traditional for colder regions) ormushrooms, or a combination of the two. The mixing together of different kinds of meat is also popular. InEuropean Russia,  ground beef is used and mushroom-filled pelmeni are also accepted.The traditionalUdmurtrecipe requires a mixture of 45% beef, 35%mutton, and 20% pork.Various spices, such as black pepper and diced onions as well as garlic, are mixed into the filling. They are commonly topped withsour cream,mayonnaise,dill,red onionsorvinegar, all of which are traditional to the region and can be produced in the Siberian climate.
Adding small amounts ofcabbage,tomatoandhorseradishinto the mince is also common for certain regional recipes.
Temperature and humidity have considerable impact on dough consistency and stability.
Pelmeni belong to the family ofdumplings, and are related toUkrainianandPolishuszka.
In the United States and Canada, the termpierogiorperogiesis often used to describe all kinds of Eastern European dumplings, regardless of the shape, size, or filling. Pelmeni are also similar to Mongolianbansh, Chinesejiaozi(Cantonesegaau) or Chinesehúntún(Cantonesewonton). They are cousins to theArmenian,TurkishandKazakhmanti, theGeorgiankhinkali, theNepaleseandTibetanmomo, the Uyghur andUzbekchuchvara, theKoreanmandu, theJapanesegyoza, theItaliantortelliniandravioli, andSwabianMaultaschen. Somewhat similar are the fried or bakedempanadasencountered in Hispanic-influenced cultures.
The most important difference between pelmeni,varenyky, andpierogiis the thickness of the dough shell—in pelmeni and vareniki this is as thin as possible, and the proportion of filling to dough is usually higher.Pelmeni are never served with a sweet filling, which distinguishes them fromvarenikiand Polishpierogi, which sometimes are. Also, the fillings in pelmeni are usually raw, while the fillings ofvarenikiandpierogiare typically precooked.
The main difference between pelmeni and momos is their size—a typical pelmen is abouttwo to three centimetres (3⁄4–1+1⁄4in) in diameter, whereas momos are often at least twice that size.
In Siberia, pelmeni are traditionally frozen outdoors in the winter and treated aspreserved food. Hunters or explorers heading into thetaigawould carry sacks of frozen pelmeni with their provisions since they can be stored frozen for a long time and are easily cooked.
Pelmeni are prepared immediately before eating by boiling in salted water until they float, and then two to five minutes more. In theUrals, they are boiled in plain water, while in Siberia they are boiled in salted water or sometimes meat or chickenbroth.The cooked pelmeni are served alone or topped with meltedbutterorsmetana(sour cream), as well as condiments likemustard,horseradish,tomato sauce, andvinegar. In theRussian Far East, they generally addsoy sauce.
There are many traditional recipes, some of them suggest frying pelmeni after boiling until they turn golden brown. Pelmeni can also be served in a clear soup,although in Siberia this is considered in poor taste and pelmeni are carefully strained before serving.InTatar cuisine,pilmän(theTatarequivalent of pelmeni) are a traditional dish, where they have always been served with clear soup and added dill or other freshly cut herbs. Pelmeni are also part ofPolish cuisine.
Packed frozen, pelmeni can be found in ethnic Russian and Ukrainian food stores everywhere. Packets of frozen pelmeni, like those carried on the taiga, are usually labeled "Siberian pelmeni".Store-bought pelmeni are made on industrial machinery, much of which is made by Italian companies such as Arienti and Cattaneo, Ima,Ostoni, Zamboni, etc. These pelmeni usually weigh around15 grams (1⁄2oz) each and look like a larger version oftortellini, which is why, for industrial production, Italian pasta machines are commonly used. Pelmeni are also commonly made at home. The easiest (if somewhat laborious) way is simply to make them by hand; many cooks use specialized "pelmeni makers" (Russian:пельменница,pelmennitsa), which are essentially molds that resemble muffin pans or ravioli molds, allowing one to quickly make a few dozen pelmeni out of two sheets of dough and a quantity of ground meat.
In Russia, store-bought pelmeni are considered a kind ofconvenience foodassociated with students' or bachelors' lifestyles, much likeinstant ramenin the West,while home-made pelmeni are considered hearty, healthy food.Store-bought frozen pelmeni, including those catered for the Russian émigré community, are therefore only remotely related and fail to capture the qualities of the original dish.
The wordpelmeniis derived frompel'n'an'(пельнянь), literally "ear bread" in the Finno-UgricKomiandUdmurtlanguages.Alternatively, it is literally translated as "dough ears".
The origins of pelmeni are contested, but they are widely viewed as aSiberiancontribution to Russian cuisine.One theory suggests pelmeni, or stuffed boiled dumplings in general, originated in Siberia, possibly a simplified adaptation of the Chinesejiaozi(in some dialects it is called Bāomiàn "包麵/包面").This theory is corroborated by the fact that traditional pelmeni fillings are strongly flavored with black pepper and other spices that are not native to Russia.Therefore, pelmeni may have been carried by the Mongols from China to Siberia and theUrals.Another theory is that they originated in the Urals and were then spread toCentral Asiaby Russian explorers and pioneers.Pelmeni may have also been developed by hunters, who needed food that was light and easy to prepare in order to be able to take with them on hunting trips.
Pelmeni began to appear in restaurants in late 19th-century France at a time when Russian dishes had already made a considerable impact onhaute cuisine.Auguste Escoffierincluded them as a hothors d'oeuvreinLe Guide Culinaire, which was contrary to the Russian custom.