KOCHI: Dumplings are one of the foods that ties a wide variety of culinary practices together. The dish, where fillings are wrapped in cooked dough, is universally appealing. Hence, they appear in different forms and tastes in almost every culture.
The dough can be sticky, stringy or slim. The shape can go in any direction. Fillings can be anything, from vegetables like cabbage and potatoes to meat, fish, tofu or a combination of it all.
These versatile little inventions are not only known for their simplicity but also for the comfort and the taste they provide. There is nothing a dumpling can’t solve, be it street-side chicken momos or home-made kozhukattas.
Mostly appearing as steamed blobs of fillings, the first evidence of this chewy treat can be traced back to ancient China. Around 1,800 years ago, during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), sage Zhang Zhongjing made dumplings as a medicinal recipe to save people from frostbite.
The lore says he cooked lamb, black peppers, and a few medicinal herbs, shredded them, then wrapped them in scraps of dough to feed the affected people. Later, it appeared in poems of Chinese scholars like Shu Xi in 300 AD. There is also evidence of preserved dumplings found in Turfan, China, around 1,000 years ago.
It is believed that the practice of steamed comfort food for cold travelled from China to West Asia through the Silk Route. Soon, various forms of it started appearing in different parts of the world.
As September 26 is widely regarded as World Dumplings Day, TNIE takes a look at the early origins of these plump snacks.
Sardinian Culurgiones
A traditional, stuffed pasta from Sardinia in Italy. Made with mashed potatoes, Sardo cheese, mint, and olive oil, it is known for its peculiar braid-like folds. It is typically served simply with a fresh tomato sauce, or a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
Semolina flour: 300g (can be rice or bread flour)
Potatoes: 2 medium
Pecorino cheese: 70g (or Parmesan)
Fresh mint leaves: 10
Virgin olive oil: 2 tbsp
Garlic clove: 1 (minced)
Salt: To taste
Method: Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash in a bowl. Finely chop mint leaves, add the pecorino cheese, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Pour flour onto a flat surface and mix it with salted water. Knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a bowl and let it rest for an hour. Cut a piece off the dough and roll it flat. Cut it into circles, preferably 8cm in diameter. Place a teaspoon of the potato mixture in the centre. Press it well, fold one side of the pasta over to the centre and pinch it lightly to seal. Repeat with the right side. At the end, pinch the tip for the unique culurgiones shape. In a large pot, boil water and add salt. Place the dumplings and cook for 5 minutes. Once cooked, garnish with freshly grated pecorino cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve with tomato sauce.
Tibetan Chicken Momos
One of the go-to foods of the Himalayan belt. Traditional fillings range from meats like yak, lamb, or pork. But modern variations include chicken, mixed vegetables, paneer, and cabbage.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour: 3 cups
Chicken: ½ kg (minced)
Celery: 2-3 stalks (chopped)
Garlic cloves: 3 (minced)
Onion: 1 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 tbsp (chopped)
Green onion: 2 stalks (chopped)
Coriander leaves: A bunch (chopped)
Salt: To taste
Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
Szechuan pepper powder: ¼ tsp
Oil: As needed
Method: Mix flour and 1.5 cups of water till a smooth dough is formed. Keep it covered. Combine all ingredients with minced chicken and mix well. Add a small amount of water or broth to keep the mixture moist, but not watery. Roll the dough and cut it into small round pieces. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre. Fold the dough in half and press the edges firmly to seal it. Bring water to a boil, place the momos in a steamer, and steam them for about 10 minutes. Or lightly pan-fry the momos in oil until the bottoms are golden. Serve with hot sauce or spicy chutneys.
A special Ramadan savoury dish popular in the Malabar region. However, Kalmas can be made any day as an easy evening snack.
Malabari Kalmas
Ingredients
Beef: 400g
Chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Pepper power: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste
Tomato: 1 (diced)
Coconut oil: For frying
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic cloves: 5
Green Chillies: 2 to 3
Curry leaves: A bunch
Onions: 2 (diced)
Coriander leaves: A bunch
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Shallots: 5
Rice flour: 2 1/2 cups
Method: Cook all ingredients (beef to tomato) for the filling in a pressure cooker. Transfer the mixture to a heated pan with 2-3 tbsp oil. Cook till the mixture is dry. Keep it aside. In a pan, add 2 tbsp oil, ginger, garlic, green chillies, salt, and curry leaves; cook until golden. Add the beef mix and stir for a few minutes. Add chopped coriander and turn off the stove. Grind the grated coconut, 2 green chillies, a piece of ginger, shallots, fennel and very little cumin seeds. Add this to the flour. Add a pinch of salt and warm water to the flour. Mix until a smooth dough is formed. Flatten small portions of the dough, place some beef mix in the centre, and seal it. Steam the rolls for 15 minutes. Make a sauce by combining chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and crushed garlic in water. Dip the steamed dumplings in it and shallow-fry them. Have it hot.
Russian Pelmeni
This is Russia’s national dish and an important part of Siberian and Udmurt culture. The fillings can be minced pork, lamb, beef, fish, mushrooms or a combination of them.
Ingredients
Beef: 250g (minced)
Pork: 250g (minced)
Onions: 2 (chopped)
Garlic cloves: 2-3 (minced)
Salt: To taste
Pepper: To taste
Bay leaves: 1
Peppercorns: A bunch
Butter: To garnish
Sour cream: To garnish
Parsley: To garnish
All-purpose flour: 3 cups
Cooking oil: 2 tbsp
Method: Mix all-purpose flour, 1 cup cold water, cooking oil and 1 tsp salt and knead well for about 10 minutes. Cover it and set aside. Mix the ground meat, onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each into circles. Place 1/2 tsp filling on each circle. Fold the edges, bring them together, and seal them by making a ring. Keep them aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add bay leaves and peppercorns. Add dumplings into water. After they float to the top, cook for 5 minutes, then remove. Take a bit of butter and coat the Pelmeni. It can also be served with sour cream and fresh parsley.
Gombóc
Gombóc are traditional Hungarian potato dumplings, usually filled with fresh plums or apricots. They can be eaten as a dessert or a side dish.
Ingredients
For dough
Potatoes: 3 (large)
Flour: 100g
Filling: Plums: 4,
Sugar: 2 tsp
Cinnamon: 2 tsp
Breadcrumbs: For coating
Butter: To fry
Method: Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes. Strain them and mash until it’s smooth. Cover and keep it in the fridge to cool. Once it’s cooled, add the flour and knead it into a smooth dough. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Cut the plums in the middle and remove the pit. Cut the dough into small pieces and make them into circles, bigger than the plums.
Place the plum in the centre of the wrapper and add ½ tsp cinnamon sugar mix into the plum. Then wrap the dough around the plum and seal. Place the dumplings into a pan of boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. In a pan, heat butter. Add breadcrumbs and fry for 3 minutes. Remove them to a plate. Serve the dumplings rolled in breadcrumbs.