The church ladies shaped potato dough made from instant potato mix into big balls around a central meatball instead of rolling the dough and pinching the dough into a dumpling.
My mother says Cepelinai tastes better the traditional way her grandmother made it, as follows.
Dough:
Cook chopped onion in the oil, add to raw ground beef and pork, mix together in a bowl with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare Potato Dough:
Boil and mash the 5 potatoes
Wash, peel and and grate the 15 raw potatoes. (Dice the potatoes and use your blender or food processor to grate them, to save time, grating small quantities at a time.)
Put the raw grated potatoes in a large bowl.
Add flour and enough boiled mashed potato to make a dough.
Mix in shortening and flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If dough is too soft to form into a round, add 1 tsp cornstarch and a little more flour, just enough to make a workable dough.
Shape 2 Tbsp. of the mixed dough into a 4-inch round "pancake." Continue till all the dough is shaped into rounds.
Assembly:
Put 1 Tbsp meat filling in the centre of each dough round.
Fold dough over meatball in a dumpling shape.
Press edges together to seal into a dumpling.
Cook:
Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.
Cook dumplings in salted, gently boiling water for 30 minutes.
Dough:
- 15 raw, peeled, grated potatoes
- 5 boiled, mashed potatoes
- 1/2 Tbsp shortening
- 2 tbsp. flour
- tsp cornstarch if needed
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 medium, minced onion
- 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. lean ground pork
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 8 slices side bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 3 tbsp- 1 cup sour cream
Cook chopped onion in the oil, add to raw ground beef and pork, mix together in a bowl with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare Potato Dough:
Boil and mash the 5 potatoes
Wash, peel and and grate the 15 raw potatoes. (Dice the potatoes and use your blender or food processor to grate them, to save time, grating small quantities at a time.)
Put the raw grated potatoes in a large bowl.
Add flour and enough boiled mashed potato to make a dough.
Mix in shortening and flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If dough is too soft to form into a round, add 1 tsp cornstarch and a little more flour, just enough to make a workable dough.
Shape 2 Tbsp. of the mixed dough into a 4-inch round "pancake." Continue till all the dough is shaped into rounds.
Assembly:
Put 1 Tbsp meat filling in the centre of each dough round.
Fold dough over meatball in a dumpling shape.
Press edges together to seal into a dumpling.
Cook:
Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.
Cook dumplings in salted, gently boiling water for 30 minutes.
Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to cook more than 1 batch.
Add more boiling water, necessary, to keep tops covered.
After 30 minutes, remove a "test" dumpling with a slotted spoon and cut into it to make sure meat is cooked through.
After 30 minutes, remove a "test" dumpling with a slotted spoon and cut into it to make sure meat is cooked through.
Increase cooking time if necessary.
While dumplings are cooking, make the topping (see below).
Remove cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon.
Drain.
Keep warm on a heated platter or in the oven until serving time.
Topping:
While dumplings are cooking or being kept warm, make a topping by frying diced ham and onion in oil, or fry diced bacon and onion together. Add sour cream to make a sauce, or serve the sour cream separately in a bowl.
Serve hot.
Remove cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon.
Drain.
Keep warm on a heated platter or in the oven until serving time.
Topping:
While dumplings are cooking or being kept warm, make a topping by frying diced ham and onion in oil, or fry diced bacon and onion together. Add sour cream to make a sauce, or serve the sour cream separately in a bowl.
Serve hot.
