Gruzinchiki (Lazy Meat-Roll Dumplings)

For everyone who loves dumplings in an easier form. Give this fun little dish a try—it goes by the affectionate name "gruzinchiki." The name is intriguing, but the ingredients couldn't be more everyday: dough, ground meat, and onion—basically dumplings, the lazy way.

Anna

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Ground meat

400

Carrots

Flour

300

Egg

Salt

0.2

Tomato paste

Water

150

Onion

Bell pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 22 % 8 g

Fats 30 % 11 g

Carbohydrates 49 % 18 g

203 kcal

GI: 11 / 0 / 89

Cooking method

Cooking time: 45 min

Step 1:

Gather the ingredients. My ground meat is homemade, a chicken-and-pork blend. The vegetables are medium-sized.
Step 2:

Sift the flour into a deep bowl, add the salt, and crack in the egg. Mix it all together. This is a basic dumpling dough—if you already have a recipe you love, use that instead. Some cooks add a little vegetable oil for extra elasticity; that's up to you.
Step 3:

Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing as you go. Knead the dough, then let it rest on the counter for a few minutes. It should be smooth and elastic and not stick to your hands. You may need more or less flour than I did—go by the feel of the dough rather than the exact amount.
Step 4:

Wash, peel, and prep the vegetables: chop the onion and grate the carrots. Set aside part of the chopped onion to mix into the meat. Heat a skillet with a little oil and sauté the vegetables for a few minutes.
Step 5:

Add the reserved chopped onion, salt, and pepper to the ground meat and mix.
Step 6:

Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and roll it into a thin sheet. How thin is up to your family's taste. Since my kids will be eating these gruzinchiki, I roll the dough a little thicker, the way they like it.
Step 7:

Spread the meat-and-onion filling evenly over the sheet of dough.
Step 8:

Roll the filled dough into a log and cut it into small rolls about 1 inch (2–3 cm) thick.
Step 9:

Arrange the sliced meat rolls in the skillet with the sautéed vegetables, cut side up.
Step 10:

Stir the tomato paste into water—about 2/3 to 1 cup—add salt and pepper, and pour this sauce over the rolls. Set the skillet over low heat. Add a bay leaf if you like. Simmer the gruzinchiki until done, about 15–20 minutes.
Step 11:

Serve the finished dish hot, 1–2 rolls per plate, spooning the vegetable sauce over the top.

I wasn't able to track down where this dish comes from—it's unlikely to be Georgian, despite the name. It may have sprung up in several kitchens at once, which makes the original author hard to pin down. Either way, it's pretty common, and no wonder: it comes together much faster than, say, hand-shaped dumplings, yet tastes very close to them. Some cooks even just fry the rolls instead of simmering them—though in my house, classic dumplings still win out.
Be ready to use more or less flour than the recipe calls for. Go by the desired consistency of the dough rather than a fixed amount.