In size (it is half as big) and in the way it is served: chuchvara is cooked in a rich meat broth with tomato and served as a soup. Russian pelmeni are boiled in water and eaten on their own with butter.
Chuchvara are small Uzbek dumplings, half the size of Russian pelmeni, cooked straight in a rich meat broth with tomato and onion. One bowl gives you both the soup and the main course. In Uzbek homes chuchvara is a traditional everyday lunch: it is quicker to make than plov and just as filling.
Method
- 1
Make the dough, cover it and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
In a large pan, brown the beef for the broth for 5 minutes.
- 3
Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the tomatoes and tomato purée and let it stew for 5 minutes.
- 5
Pour in the hot water (1.5 litres) and simmer the broth for 45 minutes.
- 6
Meanwhile, make the filling: mix the beef with the onion and spices.
- 7
Roll the dough out thinly (1.5 mm) and cut it into 3 × 3 cm squares.
- 8
Put a pinch of filling, about the size of a bean, on each square; fold it into a triangle, then bring the opposite corners together.
- 9
When the broth is ready, add the zira and coriander seed and season with salt.
- 10
Drop the chuchvara into the boiling broth and cook for 7–8 minutes, until they float, then for 2 minutes more.
Cook's tips
- Chuchvara are smaller than Russian pelmeni: the dough squares are 3 cm, not 5–7 cm.
- Do not cook chuchvara separately: they go straight into the broth and give it their meat juices.
- To make them ahead, freeze them raw on a board, then tip them into a bag.
- Serve the broth and dumplings in deep piyola bowls, with herbs on top and soured cream on the side.
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FAQ
Chuchvara (Uzbek dumplings): common questions
Yes, but the texture will be slightly different. Uzbek chuchvara dough is thinner and more elastic.
20–25 per bowl. From 400 g flour you get about 80–100 dumplings, enough for 4 servings.
Technically, yes, with mushrooms or pumpkin in the filling. But then it is no longer classic chuchvara: in the Uzbek tradition it is made with meat.
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Get the ingredients at Arkan Bazar
You will find rice, spices, dried fruit, nuts, non flatbread and tea for most of these recipes on our counter at Riga Central Market, Nēģu iela 7, open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.