To make meat filling, place all ingredients in a bowl. Add ¼ tsp each salt and black pepper, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make pelmeni dough, using an electric mixer, beat flour, egg and ½ tsp salt on low speed until almost combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add 180ml iced water until mixture forms a soft ball, adding more water if necessary. Mix for 3 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into 2 discs and wrap one of them in plastic wrap.
Roll out the remaining disc until 2mm thick. Using a 10cm round cutter, cut out 20 rounds, re-rolling the scraps of dough as necessary. Place 1 teaspoonful of meat filling in the centre of each round, brush edges with a little water and fold wrappers over filling to form a semi-circle. Press the edges together to seal, then bring the two points together and pinch to seal and form a tortellini-shaped dumpling.
Repeat step 3 with remaining dough and meat filling.
Line a large steamer basket with a cartouche and set over a pan of simmering water. Steam pelmeni, in batches of 10, for 8 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Scatter with dill and serve with sour cream and lemon wedges.
DRINK Chilled Russian Standard Imperia Vodka, Russia ($40)
As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 7, pg100.
Photography by Anson Smart.