Lazy Skillet Pelmeni with Ground Meat and Vegetables

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make lazy skillet pelmeni? First, make the dough. Gather the ingredients for it. You may use a bit more or less than three cups of flour — go by how the dough looks.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take a bowl and crack the egg into it. Pour in the water — warm is better, as the dough comes together faster. Add the salt. Beat the egg and water together with a fork until combined.

3. Step 3:

   

   Start adding the flour in batches, stirring after each addition. A fork works well at first.

4. Step 4:

   

   When the dough gets thicker, switch to kneading by hand, adding flour as needed. It will gradually come together into a ball.

5. Step 5:

   

   Turn it out onto a floured work surface. Knead until smooth. It's best to knead a good while, until the dough stops sticking — it took me about 10 minutes. Cover the finished dough with a towel and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes. This gives the gluten time to develop, so the dough becomes very elastic and pliable.

6. Step 6:

   

   While the dough rests, make the filling. Gather the ingredients. Any ground meat works — mine is beef with some pork added. Besides pepper, you can add any spices and herbs you like to the meat.

7. Step 7:

   

   Chop the onion however you like — dice it, run it through a meat grinder, or blitz it in a blender. I grate mine. Add the onion, salt, and spices to the meat.

8. Step 8:

   

   Mix the filling until even. If it seems dry, add a little water — that makes it easier to spread over the dough.

9. Step 9:

   

   Divide the dough in two. Roll each half out on the counter into a thin rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.

10. Step 10:

    

    Spread half the filling over one sheet of dough. Smooth it into a thin layer with a spoon, leaving about a half-inch border on each side.

11. Step 11:

    

    Roll the dough up into a tight log along the long side of the rectangle.

12. Step 12:

    

    With a sharp knife, cut the log into pieces about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) wide. Make the second log the same way.

13. Step 13:

    

    Gather the ingredients for the vegetable base. Instead of ketchup you can use tomato paste — you'll need less, about a teaspoon. You'll also need vegetable oil and water.

14. Step 14:

    

    Cut the onion into small dice.

15. Step 15:

    

    Grate the carrot.

16. Step 16:

    

    Heat a skillet and add the vegetable oil. Add the vegetables and fry them, stirring, over low heat for about 5 minutes, until soft. At the end, stir in the ketchup or tomato paste.

17. Step 17:

    

    Arrange the pinwheels over the vegetables, cut side up. My 9 1/2-inch (24 cm) skillet fit 20 pinwheels — the whole batch from both logs.

18. Step 18:

    

    Pour in enough water to come halfway up the pinwheels. Cover the skillet and let them cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

19. Step 19:

    

    Once all the water has been absorbed by the dough, they're done. Serve them hot, with sour cream or mayonnaise.