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Dumplings with meat

Vareniki with Meat (Filled Dumplings)

Really simple, quick, tasty, and fragrant — for any day! Vareniki with meat might be one of the best family meals out there. You can make a big batch ahead, freeze them, then boil them up fresh and hot in no time. They're great with any sauce — sour cream, gravy, melted butter, or fried onions.

naniki

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Wheat flour

Water

Sunflower oil

Salt

0.5

Salt

Beef

500

Onion

Ground black pepper

Sunflower oil

Onion

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 28 % 11 g

Fats 21 % 8 g

Carbohydrates 51 % 20 g

195 kcal

GI: 10 / 0 / 90

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make vareniki with meat? First, gather everything for the dough and the filling. Use any vegetable oil and white all-purpose flour, so the dumplings don't come out dark. For the filling I use boiled meat ground in a meat grinder, but finely chopped meat or meat fried with onion works too. I'm using beef, but any meat will do.
Step 2:

Grind the boiled meat in a meat grinder and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the meat is lean, you can work in a little oil, or add a bit of fat to the ground meat. Mix the filling evenly.
Step 3:

Make the unleavened dough. Sift the flour into a mound, make a well in the center, pour in room-temperature boiled water, and add salt. Keep in mind you may need a little more or less flour (or water) than listed — go by the consistency of the dough.
Step 4:

Add the vegetable oil and knead the dough, gently working the flour from the edges into the center.
Step 5:

Knead the dough until smooth on a floured surface, then put it in a plastic bag to rest for about 15 minutes. By the way, you can keep this dough in the fridge for quite a while and use it as needed.
Step 6:

Roll the dough into ropes, cut them into pieces of the size you want, and roll each piece into a round. Put a spoonful of filling on each round. The vareniki can be small, medium, or large with a generous filling — make them however your family likes.
Step 7:

Seal the edges of each one. For a pretty, secure seal, I use a braided crimp. You can also make extras and pop them in the freezer for later.
Step 8:

Bring water to a boil in a pot, salt it, and add a bay leaf. Drop in the meat vareniki and, once they float to the top, cook for 3–5 minutes depending on size. To serve, top with onion sliced into half-rings and fried in oil. Enjoy!

To keep your eyes from stinging while you slice onions, rinse the onion and the knife in cold water. And rub your cutting board with a piece of lemon before slicing so it doesn't pick up the oniony smell.
Be ready to use a little more or less flour than the recipe calls for. Go by the consistency of the dough rather than the exact amount. To avoid mistakes, read up on flour and its properties!
For how to choose the perfect pot for soup, porridge, or pickling, see the article on pots.