Koldunai Dumplings (Polish Kołduny)

Koldunai are bite-size dumplings with a meat filling wrapped in thin pierogi-style dough and cooked in water. The filling is juicy and flavourful, made with beef, onion and herbs. Koldunai can be served either garnished with onion, bacon or sour cream, or in a broth.

Koldunai are traditional Lithuanian dumplings also popular in other East European cuisines. In Belarus they are known as kalduny while in Poland they are called kołduny. Polish kołduny dumplings have the size and shape of uszka (which are made with a mushroom filling), as well as Russian pelmeni – another type of small meat dumplings.

While the filling in Lithuanian koldūnai can contain various meats, curd cheese or mushrooms Polish kołduny are made predominantly with meat.

Koldūnai are different from pierogi, which are larger and, unlike koldunai, never served in a soup. Also while koldunai are made using raw meat the filling for Polish meat pierogi consists of cooked meat.

Traditionally koldunai dumplings contained mutton, beef, beef suet and bone marrow, but these days they are made predominantly with beef. In Poland kołduny are not quite as popular as pierogi, but you can always sample them in quality Polish restaurants (such as Warsaw’s ‘U Fukiera’ where kołduny are still made using traditional ingredients listed above).

Or make my easy homemade koldunai recipe and enjoy them at home!

Koldunai ingredients and substitutions

The filling

• Beef: I recommend using ground beef with 10-15% fat content.
• Onion: I used 1 fried onion plus a small amount of raw onion for more flavour.
• Garlic: for me 1 garlic clove was sufficient but you can add more.
• Marjoram: very popular in traditional Polish dishes (including white borscht soup).
• Butter.
• Stock: adds moisture and flavour. I recommend using beef stock (from a stock cube is fine).
• Salt and pepper: this recipe calls for a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.
• *Optional: soy sauce – not traditional but intensifies the flavour of the meat. Recommended.

The dough

• All-purpose/plain flour.
• Water: either very warm or hot.
• Butter.
• Salt.

Equipment you’ll need

• Food processor: for combining the koldunai filling ingredients.
• Medium sized pan: for frying the onion.
• Rolling pin.
• Cookie cutter: 2 ¼ inch/58mm. Alternatively use the rim of a small glass.
• Large pot and slotted spoon: for boiling the dumplings.

How to fold koldunai

Polish kołduny dumplings are traditionally served in a broth, which is why they should be quite small. This is also the reason they usually look like uszka dumplings (traditionally served with barszcz soup) another classic of Polish cuisine with Eastern origins (see Instructions below).

I have seen koldunai being made by placing a spoonful of the filling mixture between 2 round pieces of dough and then sticking the edges together. This, however, can produce doughy, large koldunai.

Some recipes recommend shaping koldunai like pierogi, but for me pierogi are too large to serve in a soup. Although this might seem like a good shortcut (pierogi require less preparation time than kołduny) I do not recommend using this method.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Prepare dough: To a large bowl add the flour, salt and butter. Gradually stir in the hot water. Start kneading to bring all the ingredients together and form a dough. Place the dough on top of a flour dusted surface and knead for about 6 minutes. The dough will gradually become smooth and soft. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes (this will minimise shrinking when you roll it out later).

2. Prepare onion: In a pan melt ½ tablespoon of butter, add the chopped onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened stirring often. Towards the end of cooking stir in the garlic. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

3. Make filling mixture: To the food processor add the beef, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter (melted), marjoram, stock, cooked onion (once cooled), 1.5 tablespoons of grated raw onion, salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce (if using). Pulse until thoroughly incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

TIP: I recommend using a food processor to combine the ingredients as it’s quick, easy and produces better texture than using a spoon or even mixing the ingredients with your hands.

4. Roll out dough: Divide the dough into 3 parts (easier to work with), cover 2 and roll out 1 until very thin (about 2 mm). If the dough starts sticking to the surface as you roll lift it gently and turn over then dust your hand lightly with flour and go over the surface of the dough (you can do this a few times but make sure you don’t add too much flour).

TIP: Avoid scattering the flour directly over the dough as it’s easy to add too much (and end up with tough dough).

5. Cut round shapes: Using a cookie cutter (or a rim of a small glass) with the diameter of 4 ¼ inches/58mm, cut out round shapes. Gather up leftover dough and cover to prevent it drying (you can add it to the next batch).

TIP: At this point start heating a large pot of salted water. Use about 1 and ⅓ teaspoons of salt for 3 litres of water.

6. Form koldunai: Place a spoonful of the filling in the centre of a dough round and bring together opposite ends of the dough sticking the edges to seal the filling inside (do this thoroughly to make sure they don’t open up in cooking). This will give your dumpling a small pierogi shape. Next bring the ends together to form an uszka shape. Repeat for each dumpling.

Keep the kołduny on top of a generously floured surface and cover with a kitchen cloth to prevent the dough becoming dry.

TIP: I recommend keeping a sheet of paper towel handy to wipe your fingers if they become sticky as you form the dumplings.  

7. Boil koldunai: Once the water starts to boil and you’ve got your first batch of dumplings (12-15) place them gently in the water one by one and stir carefully with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pot and one another. Keep the heat high to start with but when the dumplings start coming up to the surface and the water starts boiling more rapidly turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for about 4 minutes from the time the dumplings come up to the surface.

8. Serve: Using a slotted spoon transfer to a large plate (greased with butter) and pour a little butter over the dumplings. You should get approx. 45 dumplings.

TIP: You can either serve the koldunai immediately or set them aside while you make the rest of the dumplings. You may need to microwave some of them to make sure they are all piping hot before serving.

How to serve kołduny

Polish kołduny tend to be served in some type of rosół, usually beef broth, but both chicken and vegetable broths are also suitable. Some recipes even recommend boiling the dumplings in the broth they are served with. While this works for a small batch of koldunai, for this recipe I recommend boiling the dumplings separately.

The traditional garnish is either fresh parsley or less common, though equally flavourful, lovage.

You can, of course, serve your meat koldunai without the broth, Lithuanian-style with sauteed onion, bacon, as well as sour cream and chives, if you prefer. In order to preserve the delicious meat juice inside each dumpling I do not recommend frying them in a pan before serving. If you need to reheat them it’s best to use a microwave.

What can I make ahead

• The dough: You can make it a day in advance, wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge an hour before making the dumplings.
• The filling: You can also prepare the filling the night before, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to make the recipe. You can use it straight from the fridge.

The koldunai themselves should not be made ahead as they would become dry and potentially develop cracks which in turn would cause the dumplings to split in cooking (and lose their delicious meat juice).  

How to freeze koldunai dumplings

• Uncooked: Place the dumplings in a single layer on top of a floured tray, dust with more flour and freeze for 2 hours. Next transfer to a freezer bag/container and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen.
• Cooked: Cool the dumplings completely, coat generously with butter or oil and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost fully before heating in a microwave and serving.

Top tips

• It’s important to use meat that’s not too lean – with 10-15% fat content.
• To save time prepare the filling mixture while the dough is ‘resting’.
• Koldunai should always be cooked in salted water rather than pan-fried from raw.
• Boil the dumplings in batches (without overcrowding the pot) as soon as you’ve made them (to prevent them becoming dry).
• Best served hot in a broth. Leftover kołduny dumplings can be refrigerated, once cooled completely, covered, for up to 3 days. Coat in oil or melted butter before refrigerating.

Related recipes to try next

• Homemade Pierogis (Cheddar and Potato)
• Polish Sauerkraut Pierogi
• Authentic Polish Potato and Cheese Pierogi

See also these other traditional Polish recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this koldunai recipe I'd love to know what you thought. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!