Ukrainian dumplings

For the dough, sift the flour into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the egg, a generous pinch of salt and the sunflower oil. Mix well, then pour over the flour. Now add 300ml boiling water and mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until warm but cool enough to handle.

Put the dough on your work surface and knead for 5–7 mins. It will start out very sticky but will get less so. Let the dough rest for 10 mins, covered with clingfilm.

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cabbage, onion and carrot. Fry for 5–6 mins; stir continuously. Add the tomato purée and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over low heat for 7–10 mins. The onion should be starting to caramelise and the cabbage to soften. Cool the finished filling until ready to use. You may want to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan.

When you want to fill the dumplings, work in small portions and keep the rest of the dough covered with clingfilm. Start by cutting off about a quarter of the dough. Dust your surface very lightly with a little flour. Roll the dough into a log about 3cm thick then cut into 10 pieces about 1.5cm thick.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Roll out pieces of dough into thin circles. Keep them under a cloth or clingfilm so that they don’t dry out. Put 1 tsp of the cabbage filling in the middle of the circle. Carefully seal the edges of the dumpling – do this with a lightly floured fork or crimp with your fingers. Carefully add the dumplings to the pan of boiling water, stirring slightly so that they do not stick to the bottom. Cook for 2–3 mins after they float.

Remove the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl. The dumplings can be enjoyed with crispy onions, radishes, cucumber and plenty of delicious soured cream.