Pilmeni

Pelmeni (Russian: пельмени — plural, пельмень pel’men’ — singular) are dumplings consisting of a filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough that originated in Siberia and is Russian national cuisine. Pelmeni have similar names in other languages: Belarusian: пяльмені, pyal’meni; Tatar: пилмән(нәр) pilmän(när); Ukrainian: пельмені, pel’meni; Latvian: pelmeņi; Estonian: pelmeenid.

The dough is made from flour and water, sometimes adding a small portion of eggs.

The filling can be minced meat (pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat), fish, or mushrooms. The mixing together of different kinds of meat is also popular. The traditional Ural recipe requires a mixture of 45% beef, 35% mutton, and 20% pork. Pelmeni in Perm (west of the Ural Mountains) are often filled with mushrooms, onions, turnips, or sauerkraut instead of meat. Various spices, such as black pepper and onions, are mixed into the filling.