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Pelmeni vegetarian – the best vegan recipe for Russian dumplings
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Pelmeni vegetarian (vegan) with lentil filling

Juicy, spicy and incredibly delicious taste these vegan pelmeni with lentils. The al dente filling and the tender dough, which make up the Russian dumplings, combine perfectly with each other in terms of taste. The vegetarian pelmeni fill you up and are healthier than the classic ones. They are an ideal main meal, while can be prepared in advance and frozen. According to the recipe, you can easily make the vegetarian pelmeni at home.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Russian
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 65 pelmeni

Ingredients

for the dough

  • 400 g flour
  • approx. 200 ml hot water
  • 50 ml vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • flour for the work surface

for the filling

  • 180 g pardina lentils raw
  • 110 g cooked rice (round grain rice)
  • 2 onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 180 ml cold water
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • salt
  • pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying

for the cooking

  • 1 - 2 bay leaves
  • salt
  • water

Instructions

Preparation of the dough

  • Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Gradually add hot water, first mix it with a fork while the mixture is hot, and then knead it with your hands to form a firm dough.
  • Add vegetable oil to the dough and knead it until it absorbs the oil, and then knead it for about 3 - 5 minutes more. Let the pelmeni dough rest, covered, at room temperature for about 40 minutes.

Preparation of the filling

  • Finely grind dry raw lentils, then pour 180 ml of cold water over them and let them swell for about 30 minutes so that they completely absorb the liquid.
  • Chop onions and garlic and fry them together in a pan with a little vegetable oil until translucent.
  • Add cooked rice and fried onions with garlic to soaked ground lentils and mix to a homogeneous solid mass, seasoning with paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Preparation of the vegetarian pelmeni

  • Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pelmeni dough thinly and cut out small circles, for example with a shot glass.
  • Place about 1 teaspoon of lentil filling in the center of each small dough circle, close each circle to form a semicircle and stick the edges together tightly. Then press the two ends of each semicircle together to form the typical pelmen shape.
  • Bring salted water with bay leaves to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the pelmeni one by one, stirring gently, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. After that, take them out with a slotted spoon and serve them immediately.
  • Freeze the leftover uncooked pelmeni. See the notes here above.

Notes

  • It is important to season the lentil filling well. You can use any spices and herbs for this. Do not taste the raw lentil mixture, as raw lentils contain toxins.
  • Instead of pardina lentils, you can take another type of lentil.
  • Use a sticky type of rice and not a loose one. Thus, round grain rice is best for this.
  • It is best to cook rice the day before and store it in the refrigerator.
  • Do not cook the vegan pelmeni for less than about 15 minutes. It is not enough to cook them for a few minutes, as the filling is made of lentils, which are poisonous when raw.
  • Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the pelmeni vegetarian at the top of the post.