Top

Virtiniai (Lithuanian dumplings) with potato and bacon filling

Virtiniai:dumplings

My friends kept asking me for the Lithuanian dumplings (virtiniai) recipe.  So here it is! Although there are many fillings (the most classical is with minced beef called koldunai) , I have chose to go with potato and bacon filling, because…. well, I had all the ingredients for it here at home! But there are many more exciting fillings, including sweet ones that hopefully I will cook next time. The thing is, we usually buy it frozen as it is very convenient and quick, but making from the scratch is really fun!

VIRTINIAI WITH POTATO AND BACON FILLING

Serves 2 people

(for the dough)

  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 egg
  • pinch of salt
  • 120ml water

(for the filling)

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 bacon slices (chopped)
  • 1/2 medium onion (diced)
  • 2 medium potatoes (pealed and grated)
  • pepper and salt  as desired

(for topping)

  • 1 tbsp butter (if you dare)
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • small bunch of chives (chopped)

1. To make the dough mix all the ingredients together and knead to combine. Set it aside to rest for at least 30min.

2. Meanwhile make a filling. Melt butter in the pan and fry onions together with the bacon. When onion is golden in colour add grated potato and fry it for a minute. Remove everything from the pan and season as desired. Let it cool.

3. Now is the time to make the dumplings. I am very lucky as I have ravioli/dumpling maker mold! So making dumplings with it is a real ease. Just roll the dough, cover the mold with half of it. Fill each “cell” with the filling, cover everything with the rest of the dough. Press everything with the rolling pin and “pop” all the dumplings out. If you don’t have this handy ravioli/dumpling maker, don’t worry as there is an alternative method…

forming dumpling1 forming dumpling2 forming dumpling3 forming dumpling4

The alternative method to make the dumplings is to roll the dough and cut it with the cookie cutter. I must say that it is quite tricky to go this way as the dough doesn’t seem to want to roll thin as it keeps shrinking back! I suppose the more often you do it the better you can handle it. So divide the filling into the cut circles and close them by folding the edges (like a pie).

alternative dumpling forming

4. Cook the dumpling in salted boiling water for 10min, then drain them and add little butter so it does not stick.

5. Serve the dumplings while still hot, topped with sour cream and chives.

virtiniai with potatoes

Enjoy!

Rasa :)

13 Responses to Virtiniai (Lithuanian dumplings) with potato and bacon filling

  1. Gary Algirdas Talis March 28, 2014 at 4:23 am #

    Any more good Lithuanian recipes . I know how to make Sepilinia and kugelis. But would like more Lithuanian recipes

    • Rasa Varanauskaite March 28, 2014 at 9:28 am #

      I am sure some of them will be coming soon :-)

  2. Wayne Rimkus December 12, 2014 at 2:12 pm #

    Hi
    Very nice to see the tradition continues. I use a ground beef and ham filling (equal parts) and serve with spergutai (bacon, sautéed onion and butter – of course).

    My dad felt is was exactly like his Mom’s. That felt good.

    Kugelis, sepulinai, kapusta “soup”, I do these as well.

    Nice work

    Wayne

    • Rasa Pelham December 12, 2014 at 2:19 pm #

      Aww, I am glad! Will try out your version hopefully soon!

    • Nancy Uren August 22, 2018 at 11:00 pm #

      Hi, I just found this site & am so excited! Trying to get to know more about my culture. Grandparents & parents are all deceased. Can you please tell me the American equiv. for the dough measurements? Do you add anything to the ground beef mixture?

  3. CHRISSY March 1, 2015 at 2:22 pm #

    Hello, Found your site looking for Koldūnai recipes. My grandmother made the best ones and sadly don’t have the recipe. I am going to try yours as it looks just like hers. May I ask you where you purchase your frozen dumplings? I cannot seem to find anywhere in St Petersburg, FL. Thanks so much. Excited to make for my husband. : )

    Thanks so much,Chrissy

    • Rasa Pelham March 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm #

      So sorry, don’t know where to buy frozen dumplings in the states… I live in UK and here they have in in special Lithuanian shops. Do you have any Eastern European shops perhaps? Exciting to hear that you will try the recipe (I hope your husband likes it) ;-).

  4. cherie December 11, 2015 at 8:58 pm #

    Hi, we made ours just with potato, sauteed onion, and then sour cream and butter, salt to taste sauce. I just ate 12 of them and was looking for the name. We called them Virtiniais, not Koldunai, ha. Oh…. don’t do it often, but they are so delicious. My mom was 100% Lithuanian, Elana Zudis. :)

    • Rasa Pelham December 11, 2015 at 9:53 pm #

      Hi cherie, yes I do agree, these are virtiniai. Kuldunai have mince pork filling ;-)

  5. mariuchka April 15, 2017 at 3:51 pm #

    My grandmother made these with ham and we have been making ham dumplings for over 60 years! They are terrific with ham! :)

  6. Vickie January 19, 2020 at 12:51 am #

    LOVE seeing delicious and fun recipes from various european cultures. Thank you for sharing this and all the work that goes into it. Love reading all the comments and ideas and history. God bless you all. Its precious that a thing like dumplings/food can evoke memories of loved ones and bring back again those feelings of being together. Love Jesus. Follow His Word–trust and obey. Some day He will return and take His faithful to heaven at the 2nd coming where many loved ones will be too. Eternity will be glorious. THANK YOU! Cant wait to try them. Vegetarian substitutes will probably work well too.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Baked Koldūnai (Lithuanian mince beef dumplings) | Friendly NettleFriendly Nettle - November 7, 2013

    […] koldūnai is a classical version of virtiniai and it taste even better when it is baked….hmm. The only thing is that when you see how much […]

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.