Pelmeni are small Russian dumplings: a thin wheat dough wrapped around raw seasoned meat, pinched closed by hand and cooked in boiling water. They come from Siberia, where families made hundreds at a time and kept them outside in the snow. A frozen pelmen was the original ready meal.
Ours are made the same way, by hand, from family recipes. Beef, pork, veal, chicken, lamb, shrimp, and a few wild ones like bison with bone marrow. The dough is flour, egg and water. The filling is meat you can name, onion, salt and pepper. Nothing else.
Why we sell them frozen
Freezing is how pelmeni are meant to be kept. We fold them, lay them out in a single layer and freeze them the same day, so the dough stays tender and the filling stays juicy. Frozen pelmeni keep for about three months in a home freezer. Do not thaw them before cooking: they are at their best straight from the freezer.
How to cook pelmeni from frozen
- Bring a big pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it well, like pasta water. A bay leaf and a few peppercorns are a nice touch.
- Drop the frozen pelmeni in and give them one gentle stir so they do not stick to the bottom.
- Wait for them to float. Once they are all at the surface, cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size. Cut one open if you are not sure: the meat should be cooked all the way through, with no pink.
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon and toss with a knob of butter so they do not stick together.
What to serve them with
Sour cream and fresh dill is the classic. Other favourites: a little vinegar and black pepper, mustard, melted butter with fried onions, or a ladle of the cooking broth in the bowl for a light soup. Gyoza, khinkali and manti each cook differently; the FAQ page has a short guide for every kind we make.
Pelmeni start at $20 a pound, and a pound is roughly 25 to 30 dumplings, enough for two hungry people.
