We’re extremely proud to have a diverse, multicultural team at Flipp. It gives us an opportunity to learn from each other and experience different cultures and cuisines. Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee created a cultural cook-along series, highlighting our diverse Flipp community through food, and in this month’s series, three Flippers showcased their country’s version of the popular dish; dumplings. Part of the reason the cook-along series was created is to celebrate our difference while bringing us together through the love of food.
Join our Flipp team in this culinary journey to experience three delicious, traditional dumpling recipes from Ghana, Hungary, and Colombia.
Pinkaso (Ghanaian Dumpling)
Hosted By: Sandra
Cooking utensils:
- Spoon for mixing
- Bowl of cold water
- Blender
- Wok or saucepan for frying
Ingredients:
- 1 cup self rising flour or make you own (find recipe here)
- 1 ½ tsp instant dry yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 medium onion diced
- 185 ml lukewarm water
- Neutral oil for frying ex. vegetable oil
(Optional)
- 1 pepper for added taste (green chili, scotch bonnet, habanero)
- 1 stalk green onion thinly sliced
Directions:
- In a bowl add the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Blend the onion and pepper (optional) into a smooth paste. Add a bit of the (185ml warm water) to help with blending.
- Using a wooden spatula or clean hands, gently add the paste and remaining warm water to the flour mixture and mix till you have a sticky, glossy, thick paste. This should take about 8–10 minutes.
Tip: Mixing the sticky dough until you have that glossy shine activates the gluten in the flour. This ensures a soft and airy Pinkaso.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in a warm place to rise. This should take 45 minutes to an hour. Your mixture is ready when it’s doubled up in size.
- Chop up green onion, add to the batter, and mix loosely with your hands.
- Fill the pan with vegetable oil on high until it’s hot.
- With your hands pull dumpling-sized portions out of the dough.
- Two at a time to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for one minute, flip, and cook the other side for one minute.
Hungarian Nokedli (Dumplings)
Hosted By: David
Cooking Utensils:
- A spaetzle maker ($15 on amazon) that makes is easier to form very small noodles or a regular teaspoon
- A strainer or a slotted spoon for removing the dumplings from the boiling water
- Paper towel for drying
Ingredients:
Goulash Directions:
Options:
- Make the goulash yourself, recipe here, or for the Instant Pot lovers.
- Buy it. Plenty of Hungarian, or Eastern European restaurants make it.
Tip: You can use essentially any soup/stew that you like, it doesn’t have to be goulash, and it doesn’t have to be meat-based. Just a saucy, strong-flavored sauce.
Nokedli Directions:
- Bring a large pot filled with salted water to boil.
- Combine eggs, salt, and water, beating well with a whisk.
- Add flour, a little at a time, to make a soft, sticky dough.
- Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes.
- Beat the mixture again.
- Using the side of a teaspoon or a spaetzle maker, spoon a small amount of dough into boiling water.
- Dipping the spoon in the hot water will remove the dough from the spoon (if you have a spaetzle maker, that makes it easier as you want very small noodles.)
- Boil the noodles until they float to the top, meaning they are ready.
- Remove from water with a large slotted spoon, and place in a colander.
- Rinse with cold water.
- You may want to make the dumplings in 2 or 3 batches so they don’t overcook.
- Serve your nokedli with goulash and enjoy!
Colombian Empanadas
Hosted By: Natalia
Cooking Utensils:
- 1 large pot or pan for frying
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 large skillet for the filling
- Plastic cling wrap
- Slotted spoon
Dough Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- 2 cups warm water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Filling Ingredients:
- 2 cups white potatoes (peeled and diced)
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 chicken bouillon tablet
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup white onion (chopped)
- 1 cup tomato (chopped)
- ¼ cup green onion (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbsp red bell pepper (chopped)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Ají Ingredients (optional):
- 1 small hot pepper or habanero pepper
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
Directions:
- Dough: In a large bowl, add cornmeal, warm water, oil and mix! Knead until smooth, cover and set aside while you make the rest.
- Filling: Heat up a pot of water and add the bouillon tablet. Should take about 20 minutes to become tender.
- Filling: Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet. Add onions, stir. Once translucent add tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper, cilantro and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Aji: While the veggies are cooking, make the aji! Mix together hot pepper, white vinegar, water, salt, sugar, lime juice, vegetable oil, cilantro, parsley, scallions, and tomato. Set aside in the fridge
- Filling: Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is fairly dry.
- Filling: Mash potatoes and add the meat mixture and mix until well combined.
- Dough: Break small portions of dough, roll into a ball between your palms.
- Dough: Place dough between two pieces of plastic and flatten.
- Assemble: Open up the plastic, and place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over forming a half circle and tightly seal the edges.
- Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360°.
- Place about 4 empanadas in at a time and fry for about 2 minutes until golden.
- Use a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate with a paper towel.
- Serve with ají and enjoy!
