Boraki

Ingredients

Dough

• 300 gplain flour
• 1egg
• 120 mlwater
• 1 tspsalt

Filling

• 400 gminced beef or lamb, not too lean
• 2onions, very finely chopped
• 2 tbspbutter
• 3 tbspflat parsley, chopped
• 1 tspground black pepper
• ½ tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspsalt

To cook and serve

• 60 gbutter and 3 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
• 300 mlbeef or vegetable broth, hot
• 300 gmatsun or thick yoghurt
• 3garlic cloves, crushed with a pinch of salt
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1 tspsumac, optional

Directions

1. Knead the flour, egg, water and salt into a firm, smooth dough, then rest it covered for 30 minutes so it rolls out without springing back.
2. Cook the filling first, which is what distinguishes boraki from every other dumpling in the region: fry the onions in butter until golden, add the meat and brown it hard, breaking it up, for 8 to 10 minutes until it is fully cooked and slightly crisp at the edges. Season, stir in the parsley and cool completely.
3. Roll the dough out to 1 to 2 mm and cut it into rectangles about 8 by 10 cm.
4. Lay a line of the cold filling along one long edge, leaving the short ends clear, and roll each rectangle into a cylinder about 3 cm across.
5. Pinch and seal only the bottom edge, along the seam, and leave both ends of the cylinder wide open. Trim the ends flat with a knife so each roll stands upright.
6. Stand the rolls tightly together, open ends up, in a heavy pan holding the melted butter and oil at medium heat, and fry the bases for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and set.
7. Pour hot broth carefully down the side of the pan to a depth of about 2 cm, less than half the height of the rolls so the tops stay dry and crisp. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is tender and most of the liquid has gone.
8. Beat the garlic and mint into the matsun. Lift the boraki onto a warm platter, still standing, spoon the garlic yoghurt over and around them, dust with sumac and serve at once.

Technique

• The open ends are the whole point. Boraki are not sealed dumplings: the filling is pre-cooked so the open cylinder can be fried standing up and then steamed in a shallow bath of broth, which crisps the base while the top stays soft.
• Cold filling and thin dough are non-negotiable. Warm filling steams the dough from inside and the rolls collapse in the pan.
• Pack the pan tightly. The rolls hold each other upright, and a half-empty pan lets them fall over into the broth and go soggy.

Substitutions

• No matsun: use full-fat Greek yoghurt loosened with a spoon of water, or soured cream. The sauce must be sharp enough to cut the fried dough.
• For a meat-free filling, use finely chopped mushrooms and onions browned hard in butter, common during fasting periods.

Variations

• Some Yerevan cooks skip the broth altogether and deep-fry the rolls, serving them dry with the yoghurt as a dip.
• A Gyumri version adds chopped walnuts and a spoon of tomato paste to the filling.

History

An Armenian dumpling said to be shaped like the standing shields of an army camp, unusual for being fried before boiling.

Frequently asked questions

What is Boraki?

Boraki is a main from Armenia: open-ended meat rolls fried standing upright, then simmered and topped with garlic yoghurt. An Armenian dumpling said to be shaped like the standing shields of an army camp, unusual for being fried before boiling.

How long does Boraki take to make?

Boraki takes 1 hr 15 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings, about 30 rolls. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Boraki?

Yes, within limits. No matsun: use full-fat Greek yoghurt loosened with a spoon of water, or soured cream. The sauce must be sharp enough to cut the fried dough. For a meat-free filling, use finely chopped mushrooms and onions browned hard in butter, common during fasting periods.

What is the most important thing to get right in Boraki?

The open ends are the whole point. Boraki are not sealed dumplings: the filling is pre-cooked so the open cylinder can be fried standing up and then steamed in a shallow bath of broth, which crisps the base while the top stays soft.