Moldovan Filled Dumplings (Colțunași)
Colțunași Say it: kol-tsoo-NAHSH
Colțunași turn up on Moldovan tables as a weeknight supper and as part of a holiday spread, and they are at their best straight from the pot, when the dough is still warm and chewy and the cheese inside is soft and creamy. These half-moon pockets of egg dough are boiled, then dressed with melted butter, with sour cream alongside for spooning over. The same dough wraps sour cherries when something sweet is wanted. Most of the work is rolling and sealing, so plan on an hour of shaping before the pot goes on.
Moldovan Filled Dumplings (Colțunași)
Colțunași
Pronounced kol-tsoo-NAHSH
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Cheese filling
To cook and serve
Method
Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl, then push the mixture up the sides to leave a hollow in the middle. Break in the egg, pour in most of the warm water and work everything together with a fork or by hand, adding the remaining water little by little until the dough is firm but still pliable.
Move the dough to a lightly floured worktop and knead for 8–10 minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic. Lay a clean towel over it and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, stir the drained cheese, egg, dill, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Work it with a fork until it holds together and spreads easily without being runny, then taste and add more salt if needed.
Cut the dough in two. On a floured surface, roll one piece out to roughly 1/8 inch (2–3 mm) thick. Stamp out 3-inch (7.5 cm) rounds with a cutter or a glass, gathering the trimmings and rolling them again.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling onto the middle of each round. Fold the dough in half over the filling into a half-moon, press the seam firmly shut, then crimp it with a fork or pinch it closed. Continue with the remaining dough and filling, setting the shaped dumplings on a floured tray.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tbsp salt and bring it to a rolling boil. Lower in the dumplings a batch at a time, leaving space between them, and stir once gently. They are ready when they rise to the surface and the edges turn tender, 3–4 minutes after floating.
Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and let them drain well. Coat them in the melted butter and bring them to the table right away with the sour cream and the remaining dill.
Regional variant: Sweet cherry colțunași (colțunași cu vișine)
Swap the cheese filling for about 2 cups pitted sour cherries tossed with 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch. Fill and seal the dumplings the same way, boil until tender, then serve with sweetened sour cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Cook's notes
- Drain the cheese well first; extra moisture softens the dough and loosens the seals.
- Keep the filling modest — a rounded teaspoon is plenty for a 3-inch round — and leave the rim clean so each dumpling closes tightly.
- If the dough shrinks back under the rolling pin, set it aside for 5 minutes and then carry on rolling.
Serve with
Bring them to the table hot with sour cream (smântână) and melted butter; the sweet cherry version goes best with sweetened sour cream.
Make ahead and storage
Shaped but uncooked dumplings can be frozen on a floured tray and then transferred to a bag; boil them straight from frozen and allow 1–2 minutes extra cooking time.
