Plate of Koldūnai Dumplings
(click to enlarge)

Koldūnai Dumplings


Lithuania   -   Koldūnai (Lithuania)   |   Pierogi (Poland)
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 10 oz
**
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 Extremely popular in Poland and Lithuania as an appetizer or side dish. A great variety of fillings and toppings are used, meaty and vegetarian. A few recipes are given below. See also Comments.

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12
2
1
1/3
ar
-----
lots
ar
-----
ar
---
oz

t
t

---


---
Dumplings
Flour, all purp  
Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Filling
-- Cooking
Boiling Water
Topping
-- Serve With
Sour Cream
Do Ahead
  1. Make Filling of choice. This recipe will want about 1-1/2 cups of filling. Some fillings are very simple and need not be made much ahead.
  2. Make Topping of choice. Some toppings are very simple and need not be made much ahead.
Prepare   -   (55 min)
  1. Place EGGS in a large mixing bowl (remove the shells first), break up and mix with Salt, Pepper and Flour. Start mixing, adding water a little at a time until you have a dough that is smooth and flexible but does not stick to the hands. See Mixing.
  2. Knead the Dough the minimum time to get the dough smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Divide the Dough into 2 to 3 chunks and roll out on a lightly floured board, about 1/16 inch thick. Add a little more flour under it as it gets large or it will stick.
  4. Use a round cutter about 4 inches diameter (can be a glass or jar if you don't have a cutter). Cut out as many pieces as you can get, placing them on a lightly floured surface. Knead the remains together, adding a little moisture if needed, roll out and cut again. Keep everything under plastic wrap to prevent drying and on floured surfaces to prevent sticking.
  5. Place a lump of filling in the center of each circle, as large as will allow you to bring one side over and seal. Lightly wet the edges all around and fold dough around the filling into a half moon shape. Press the edges together well, eliminating air as much as possible. There must not be any holes or the filling will be ruined. Some people decorate the edges with a fork, and some people twist the edges into looking like a braid.
  6. AT THIS POINT, all or part of the Koldūnai can be frozen to use later.
Finish   -   (55 min)
  1. Bring a large pot of salted Water to a boil. Drop in Koldūnai in batches so they are not crowded. If they are frozen, don't bother to thaw them. Stir a couple of times to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. Keep Water at a gentle boil. When they float to the top, give them another 30 seconds or so to assure they are fully cooked, especially with a meat stuffing.
  2. Place in a serving dish with Topping of choice, and with Sour Cream on the side. See also Buffet.


Fillings



Farmer's Cheese Filling


14
1/4
1
1
oz
c

t
Cottage Cheese (1)  
Sour Cream
Egg
Salt
Make   -   (7 min)
  1. Mix all Filling items together well.


Farmer's Cheese & Turnip Filling

Makes 2 cups.

11
6
1/4
8
1
1/2
oz

c
oz
t
t
Turnip
Scallions
Dill, fresh
Farmer's Cheese (4)  
Salt
Pepper
Make   -   (45 min - 30 min work)
  1. Peel TURNIPS and cut into small cubes. Boil until soft, drain, and cool a bit. Wring out excess water and mash. I use a potato ricer which first squeezes out the water, then mashes, but it takes some strength and a sturdy ricer. Clean out the fibers after each squeeze.
  2. Chop SCALLIONS fine.
  3. Chop DILL fine. Measure is after chopping lightly packed.
  4. Massage all Filling items together well.


Meat Filling


11
8
1/2
1
1
1
1/2
oz
oz
T
t
t
t
t
Pork (2)
Onion
Oil
Oregano, fresh  
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Make   -   ()
  1. Grind or Chop PORK fine.
  2. Chop ONION fine.
  3. Massage all Filling items together well.


Toppings



Butter & Dill Topping


6
ar
T

Bacon (4)
Dill, fresh  
Make   -   (5 min)
  1. Chop DILL small.
  2. Melt BUTTER.
  3. Place Dumplings on a serving plate, pour Butter over and sprinkle with Dill.

Bacon Topping (Spirguč)


7
2
oz
T
Bacon (4)
Oregano fresh
Make   -   ()
  1. Strip OREGANO leaves from stems (other herbs can be used).
  2. Slice BACON about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/2 inch squares.
  3. Put Bacon in a skillet with 1/16 inch water (to render some fat).
    Hold over moderate heat until the water has evaporated. Fry stirring often and gradually turning down the heat to low until starting to be crispy. Drain off excess fat.
  4. Place Dumplings on a serving dish, sprinkle with Bacon and Dill.
NOTES:

  1. Farmer's Cheese:

      [Tvorog, Tbopoг]   This is a dry Cottage Cheese, available under any of the names given above. It can be made by wringing out regular Cottage Cheese. It may be in low fat or up to 9% fat. I like the higher fat versions for this recipe.

  2. Mixing:

      I mix by hand, but you can mix with a stand mixer or some such - but - mix and knead the minimum needed to get a smooth dough, soft but does not stick to the hands. Over mixing / kneading will make for tough dumplings. Also, the 30 minute rest is important to keep the dumplings from being tough.

  3. Buffet:

      For buffet service, I cut them in half crosswise, then arrange them in an electric skillet that's very well buttered and set to "Warm". This makes them much easier to handle in a stand-up Buffet setting. For this service I prefer the simple Butter & Dill topping.

  4. Comments:

      Remembering from my early childhood, my mother was a reluctant cook. I continued asking for the few Polish dishes she knew, but only got them occasionally. I do remember when she made Pierogi (my parents spoke Polish as a second language) they had a cottage cheese filling, and she finished them by frying lightly in butter.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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