how to cook pelmeni in microwave

Question

Is it possible to cook pelmeni aka meat dumplings (Russian food) in microwave? What are steps? Without any precooking in pot or at pan.

Answer 1

Anything that is normally cooked by simmering / boiling in liquid can be cooked in a microwave in the same way, if your microwave can keep the liquid simmering.

So for pelmeni just put them in a bowl of salted boiling water (use a kettle or the microwave to bring it to the boil first), bring back to a simmer and cook on high for the same length of time you'd cook them in a pan on the stove. If your microwave is not powerful enough to keep the water simmering, cook smaller amounts at a time.

It's less efficient than doing it on the stove, takes more time and is more fuss. The pelmeni will take longer to come back to a simmer than they would on the stove, so the dough will be relatively overcooked and soft.

Answer 2

It is possible, but considering the fact that the filling for pelmeni isn't pre-cooked (in any recipe that I've seen), you want to make sure to cook it thoroughly.

You can place them in a microwave safe bowl with water and cook them for 9-12 minutes until done.

You can also place pelmeni in a single layer on a plate. Cover with a wet paper towel or clean cloth - it should be thoroughly wet. Cook on high, checking every few minutes to make sure the towel or cloth is still wet. Again, do this for 9-12 minutes.

There's no significant time-savings over doing this on the stove-top, but if you only have a microwave available, it works. They taste better on the stove top.