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Kuldunai Lithuanian Meat Dumplings

Kuldunai are delicious Lithuanian meat dumplings our family can never get enough of. They’re one of my kids’ favorite meals. But long before the kids arrived, kuldunai were always a special treat.

I learned to make this kuldunai recipe by helping my grandmother in the kitchen of our house on 63d Street. I was only seven or eight at the time. She did the chopping and mixing; I cut the dough into circles; and together we’d stuff the filling. Then we’d plop each tender dumpling into a big steaming pot of boiling water.

I remember how the tantalizing, smokey-sweet smell of her kuldunai Bacon Sauce would drift through the house and pull everyone into the kitchen. She only made it when she cooked kuldunai, never any other time.

Papunukas (my grandfather) would often stop his work and wander into the kitchen mumbling about being unable to concentrate and when would it be ready? Babunita would chase him back to his workshop saying “Go away! I’ll call you when it’s time.”

But he’d just quietly sit down at the kitchen table, anticipating; enjoying the tangy bacon sauce aroma with a glass of krupnickas.

This is the traditional Lithuanian recipe my grandmother gave me. But be careful how you use it! Once they taste these kuldunai, your family will beg for them often.

Kuldunai Lithuanian Meat Dumplings Recipe

Ingredients for dumplings…

Ingredients for filling…

Preparation

1. Prepare the filling…

Beat eggs then mix well with salt, pepper, chopped onion and ground beef.

If the beef is coarsely ground, you’ll want to chop or grind it finely as well. You want the filling to have a consistent texture. The more evenly-sized the pieces of onion and meat are, the better.

2. Prepare the dough…

Beat eggs thoroughly. Add salt, water and flour to make a soft, workable dough. Divide into three parts.

Roll out each part 1/8 inch thick.

Cut into circles with a large glass, each circle about 3 inches in diameter.

Fill each dough circle with a tablespoon of filling. Seal the edges and twist over the ends.

3. Cook the dumplings…

Bring three quarts salted water to a boil. Drop in the dumplings and return water to boil. Dumplings are done when they float to the top.

Serve hot with Bacon-Mushroom gravy or Lithuanian Bacon Sauce. (Recipes for both are in my cookbook along with additional cooking notes and several Kuldunai variations).

Enjoy!

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