Romanian Cheese Dumplings
Colțunași are the Romanian variant of a large family of filled, boiled doughs found under different names across Central and Eastern Europe; their name comes from Turkish, by way of the Balkans, as with many Romanian culinary terms for stuffed dough dishes. The cottage cheese and dill filling is the most common everyday version, though in villages they're also made with potato or cabbage, depending on what was on hand. What separates successful colțunași from ones that fall apart while boiling is two things: the cheese has to be very well drained beforehand, otherwise its moisture softens the dough from the inside before it even gets to boil; and the dough is sealed only by pressing with fingers, never water, because water added at the edge thins out during boiling and leaves an opening for the filling to escape. The boiling itself needs no timer — the dumplings announce on their own when they're ready, rising to the surface of the water.
Well-drained cottage cheese
No whey left, so the filling stays firm and won't soak the dough
Edges pinched shut, not sealed with water
Fresh thin dough sticks to itself on its own
Boiled in water, not steamed
Floating to the surface shows exactly when they're done
Served with melted butter and sour cream
The fat balances the cheese's slightly tangy edge
Ingredients 4 servings
- 300g flour
- 1 egg
- 120ml lukewarm water
- A pinch of salt
- 400g cottage cheese, well drained
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- Salt, to taste
- Melted butter and sour cream, to serve
How to make it
- 1MAKE THE DOUGH: combine the flour, egg, lukewarm water and salt in a bowl and knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- 2Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
- 3PREPARE THE FILLING: mix the well-drained cheese with the egg yolk, dill and salt, until you get a firm mixture, not watery.
- 4ROLL OUT THE DOUGH: on a floured surface, roll the dough out very thin, almost translucent, with a rolling pin or pasta machine.
- 5CUT SQUARES: cut the dough into 5-6cm squares using a knife or pasta wheel.
- 6FILL AND CLOSE: place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each square, then fold corner to corner to form a triangle and press the edges firmly with your fingers to seal, without water.
- 7SHAPE THE DUMPLINGS: bring the two opposite corners of the triangle together and press them, giving the traditional curved shape.
- 8BOIL: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the dumplings without crowding the pot and boil for 4-5 minutes, until they float to the surface and stay there for another minute.
- 9DRAIN AND SERVE: lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon, place them in bowls and pour melted butter over them.
- 10Serve with sour cream on the side.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
