While I was in Mongolia, I was able to try both the meat and vegetarian versions of khuushuur, fried dumplings. I especially liked the potato and vegetable filling, because most of the meals had a lot of meat. I looked for a recipe for khuushuur and eventually found a few online. The main differences were how to make the dough, and what seasoning to use for the filling.
This recipe for khuushuur is with the typical meat filling. However, I think the vegetarian filling has shredded carrot, smalls cubes of potato, onion and maybe some shredded cabbage. In general, fresh vegetables were difficult to find in the Mongolian desert. If you make too many, these freeze well and can be reheated in the oven or air fryer!
Ingredients
Dough
250 g Plain flour
150 ml water
Filling
300 g Minced lamb (10 or 20% fat)
1 medium Onion, minced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3-5 Tbsp Water
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
First, in a large bowl, mix the minced lamb, onion and garlic. Next, add water until the mixture is smooth and soft, but not watery. Add salt, pepper and caraway seeds.
Prepare the dough
First, in a medium bowl, mix flour and water to create a pliable dough. Let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Then divide the dough golf-ball sized pieces. Roll each piece into a circle about 10 cm (4 in) diameter. The centre should be slightly thicker than the edges, which will be folded.
Roll about 3 or 4, then fill those. Place about 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture on one half of the circle. Fold the circle in half with fingers and palm, so that the edges meet over the meat. You should now have a semi-circle. Press the two edges together and flatten slightly. Alternating, form a little loop of the dough using your thumb, and press it onto the already closed part with a little offset. Continue until it looks like it is braided from the sides. Ensure the pouch is sealed at the end. Watch this video for how to fold the edges.
Fry Khuushuur
Heat oil in the frying pan over medium heat, and fry khuushuur until lightly browned. The meat juice may cause the oil to splatter, so you can cover the pan with a screen to limit this. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. When re-heating, use an air fryer or frying pan so they are crispy.
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