Buuz

Ingredients

• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 300ml warm water
• 500g ground beef or lamb (or a mix of both)
• 1 large onion, finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 100ml cold water or beef stock
• 1 tsp salt, for the filling
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Before you cook

• Mound the flour in a large bowl and stir in the salt.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water gradually, mixing with your hand until a shaggy dough forms.
• Knead the dough on a work surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Finely mince the onion and garlic.
• In a bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Work the cold water or stock into the meat mixture with your hand, a little at a time, until the filling looks juicy and holds together loosely.
• Cover the filling and refrigerate it while the dough finishes resting.
• Lightly oil the tiers of a steamer basket.

Steps

1. Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces.
2. Roll each piece into a long rope about 2cm thick.
3. Cut each rope into 6 equal pieces, for 24 pieces total.
4. Press one piece flat with your palm, then roll it into a thin round about 8cm across, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
5. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of the round.
6. Gather the edge of the dough up and around the filling with your fingers, forming small pleats as you work your way around the circle.
7. Pinch the pleats together at the top with a slight twist, leaving a small open steam-vent hole at the very center.
8. Repeat rolling, filling and pleating with the remaining dough and filling.
9. Place the shaped buuz pleat-side up in the oiled steamer basket, leaving space between each so they don't touch.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
11. Set the steamer basket over the boiling water and cover it with a lid.
12. Steam the buuz for 15 to 18 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dough is translucent and the filling is fully cooked.
13. Carefully lift the buuz out of the steamer.
14. Let them rest for 2 minutes before serving, since the filling holds a lot of hot juice.
15. Serve the buuz hot, picking each one up by its pleated top and taking a small bite or sip of the broth inside before eating the rest.