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Eternal Sky Series – Bansh, Mongolian Dumplings

Chelsea M-C

“After a hand of days or so, Temur took up his new bow to bring food back to those fires–marmots, mostly , and the odd zeren gazelle, because he could not range widely enough or draw the bow strongly enough to bring down larger game. But whatever he brought was accepted gratefully, and in return the others shared with him what they had– dumplings, clarified mutton fat, salted butter, airag — fermented mare’s milk– from the bags that hung over the flanks of the cattle when the herds were on the move.” -Range of Ghosts

If you haven’t read any of Elizabeth Bear’s series, you should really fix that. She’s so ridiculously prolific a writer that there’s bound to be one in a genre you like. This one is a sprawling fantasy epic of… I’ll call it parallel history. The story takes place just after the peak of the Mongol empire, but there’s magic and skies that change depending on who rules under them, and a whole lot of other super cool stuff. But for me, it’s her descriptive writing and clever worldbuilding that most appeals. She even makes marmots sound tasty… mostly. And you know how I love my fictional food!
Temur, one of the main characters in the series, even names his horse Bansh – “dumpling”. It’s a somewhat ignominious name for what turns out to be an extraordinary horse, but in a way, it also fits. Dumplings such as this would have been a staple food item in Mongolian eating, essential for survival, just as it turns out the horse is.
I recently met someone who has been studying cheese around the world (I know, right?! Crazy cool.), including among the still nomadic Mongols. She told me how their cheese is dried on the outside of their tents until it is rock hard, and can only be sucked on or dissolved into tea. That tartness would pair so well with these dumplings, which are a bit greasy, but in the best way, richly flavorful. I made up a batch and fed them to my horse-mad husband along with some rice after a long day working outside. They were just what we didn’t know we needed.

Recipe for Bansh Dumplings

Cook’s note: caraway is a common ingredient in many recipes for bansh, but I didn’t have any on hand when I tackled this dish. Instead, I added a small amount of curry powder to give it that slightly other-than-expected flavor. It’s fantastic with lamb, but the beef version is pretty good, too.
For some awesome pairings, consider picking up some Ayran from your nearest Middle Eastern food store, or make up some Milk Tea. We also played some Mongolian throat-singing music to really complete the mood. ;)
Dough Ingredients:

Filling:

Mix up the dough by combining the flour and salt in a small bowl, then adding in just enough water to make a smooth dough. Knead for several minutes until it’s soft and pliable. Set aside to rest for about 15 minutes while you make up the filling.

Combine the lamb or beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and curry powder in a bowl. Add just enough water to make it into a smooth paste.

Start heating your oil in a pan over medium heat, and begin making the dumplings. Divide the dough into 12 small pieces, and roll each into a bowl. Roll each ball flat and thin, no more than 1/8″ thick. Add a dollop of the filling, then fold over and crimp.

Full disclaimer: it turns out I’m just awful at crimping dumplings. I tried a few different styles, but settled on the basic potsticker approach as the easiest to do. There are numerous video tutorials on the subject, and I heartily recommend them.

Once the oil is hot and the dumplings are wrapped, set a few at a time in the hot oil. Mine started to hiss and spit a fair amount, so I covered the pan while they cooked some, which I’m guessing also helped steam them a bit. Flip occasionally so the dumplings are evenly brown, then remove to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

They can also be boiled, but I love the crispy outside of a fried dumpling, so that’s what I went with. Extra tasty with some soy sauce for dipping.

 

 

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