Pelmeni - are the old Russian contribution to the world's fastfood and also can be delicious meal on their own. They are dumplings consisting of a meat filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough. Pelmeni can be stored frozen for a long time until they are prepared immediately before eating by boiling in salted water until they float, and then 2-5 minutes more.

The cooked pelmeni are served on their own or topped with melted butter or sour cream. Mustard, horseradish, tomato sauce, and vinegar are popular as well. Some recipes suggest frying pelmeni after boiling until they turn golden brown. Pelmeni can also be served in a clear soup.

It's believed that pelmeni originate in Siberia and were invented by hunters in order to keep preserved food in their long hunting expeditions. Hunters or explorers heading into the taiga would carry sacks of frozen pelmeni with their provisions as easily cooked non-perishable food. They where made in advance in large number by hand and kept frozen outdoors in the winter.

Novadays, packs of frozen pelmeni can be found in Russian and Ukrainian food stores as well as everywhere Russian communities exist. They make one of the favourite ready made foods among urban working Russians for the little time needed to prepare them. The cooks in the upmarket restaurants usually make pelmeny by hand not long before they are consumed.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1/2 pound mixed ground beef, lamb and pork (by taste)
1 onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
Mix ground beef, lamb, pork, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper; reserve. Mix flour with egg (yolk and egg white) and water; 1/4 teaspoon salt until a soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic. Divide into 1-inch round pieces. Roll each piece so that they are 1/16 inch thick. Fill each piece with the meat mixture; fold into half-moons. Pinch edges together and connect the opposite sides. Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later, or cooked immediately. To cook pelmeni, boil about 1/2 gallon of water; carefully drop pelmeni into boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes. Serve with butter, sour cream or vinegar; add pepper and salt to taste. Serves 6-8 persons.