Jumbo pelmeni

Pelmeni is a famous East European dish. People believe it to be a strictly russian one but it is just as Ukrainian to me. Well, post-Soviet if you wish.

According to Google, there are a few theories as to where pelmeni came from. Some sources say that pelmeni are an adaptation of Chinese potstickers, while many other sources state that pelmeni first originated in Ural and were named by Komi, the indigenous people of the area. Later they became a russian traditional dish.

Contrary to popular opinion the word pelmeni is already in the plural, so there is no need to write 'pelmenis'. The singluar version of pelmeni (пельмени) is pelmen' (пельмень). Ukrainian spelling of the word is almost identical with just the last letter being different - пельмені.

The main difference between pelmeni and Ukrainian dumplings varenyky is that pelmeni always contain meat. Meanwhile, I have never had varenyky with meat. Typical fillings for varenyky include potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, and cottage cheese. There are also sweet varenyky that are eaten for dessert and stuffed with different types of berries and often coated in sugar.

Pelmeni are easy but time-consuming to make because just like any other dumpling in the world you gotta make each one. This recipe is a bit faster than a normal one would be as the pelmeni here are bigger than their traditional counterparts. This way you can really save some time and still have the best taste!

For this recipe, I have used my ground tofu and it tastes a lot like the "real deal". In fact, I think I will work on a recipe that tastes less like meat for those days when I am not feeling it and don't really want to be reminded of the times when I didn't have a choice in what I ate.

I also know that there are plenty of vegans out there who don't like the taste of anything that resembles meat. If this is you you might want to sit this one out. But if you want to try traditional pelmeni, but cruelty-free or perhaps you are a vegan now but miss that childhood taste then keep on reading!

The ground tofu turns out so good that many may not even taste the difference between the traditional version and this vegan one.

Tips and notes:

If using my Vegan Tofu Mince Recipe, when making the ground "meat" cook it sufficiently enough so that it is crispy. Further cooking will be minimal so keep that in mind. If using store-bought mince then no preparation is necessary, but do make sure to season it.
The reason the pelmeni in this recipe are called "jumbo" is that I was using a regular-sized glass to make the dough disks for the pelmeni. Normally this size is too big and is more likely to be used for varenyky instead of pelmeni. But I find that this "life hack" really saves some time and energy so I just went with it.
When boiling the pelmeni make sure to add them into the water immediately, do not wait for it to boil first. If you add the pelmeni to the boiling water they will fall apart.
Pro tip: if your minced tofu is too crumbly, add some aquafaba to the mix. It will replace an egg and keep the tofu from spilling all over.

Vegan Jumbo Pelmeni

Ingredients

200 grams vegan minced "meat" (ground tofu)

390 grams flour

200 milliliters water

4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons aquafaba to keep the mince together (optional)

vegan butter to serve

vegan sour cream to serve

salt and pepper to taste

fresh dill or parsley to serve

Instructions

1. First begin by prepping the minced "meat". In case you are using store-bought mince skip this step, but in case you are using my Easy Vegan Mince Recipe then first make the mince and cook it sufficiently and then proceed to step two. Add aquafaba to the mince if using.

2. Now make the dough. To do so combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Knead the dough until it is smooth.

3. Divide the dough into four parts. Take one part and roll it out with a rolling pin on a flat surface (such as a large cutting board or a kitchen counter). The dough has to be rolled out equally thin. Make sure there are no holes or tears in the dough. When you make the pelmeni later you will stretch the dough further so make sure it is not too thick.

4. This step is my favorite part as I always thought it was fun. Now you need to find a glass, flip it upside down and press it against a random place in the dough so you cut a disk out of the dough. You might have to twist the glass while it's still pressed against the surface to make sure the dough disk comes out easily. Continue cutting the disks with a glass until you use up all the rolled dough space.

5. Now use a teaspoon to spoon some of the filling (the minced tofu) onto a cut-out dough disk. Make sure to try to place it in the middle. Now fold the disk to create a half moon and with your fingers seal the open end of the dough. Now it will look like a regular dumpling. Lastly, flip the dumpling over so that the straight end is facing up and with your fingers press the two ends onto each other, creating a shape that sort of resembles a bib.

6. Keep going until all the dough you made has been used up. Once each individual pelmen' is ready place it onto a floured surface. Make sure all the pelmeni are not touching each other or they will stick to each other and when you boil them it will be a mess. At this point you can also freeze some of the pelmeni by placing them into the freezer for about 20 minutes (after that you can add them to any container). Again make sure they are not touching each other and that the plate or a cutting board you use to place them onto is floured, or they will stick to it.

7. Lastly when the pelmeni are made all that is left is to boil them. Take a saucepan and fill it with warm water. Place it over high heat and add the pelmeni immediately. I have found that if you wait for the water to boil and then add the pelmeni, they will fall apart. Once the water boils reduce heat to medium. Once the pelmeni float to the surface let them cook for 3-4 minutes and they are done!

8. Serve with some vegan butter that will melt over the pelmeni, with vegan sour cream and some fresh dill or parsley. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!