Oromo is a super fun and incredibly delicious recipe to make! Take it to a dinner party and your friends will be more than impressed!
What is Oromo?
This dumpling is a traditional dish served in Kyrgyzstan. Oromo is made by rolling out a pasta dough until paper-thin, covering the dough in a flavourful filling ranging from minced meat to vegetables, and then rolling it up (almost like a Swiss roll) to then steam it for around 15 minutes.
You can serve the dish with whatever you fancy, but the most traditional accompaniment is yoghurt and chilli flakes. Here, I’ve combined yoghurt with paprika, chilli flakes, and melted butter.
The Dough
It’s really as simple in real life as it is on paper. Combine flour, egg, salt, and water to make the dough. Knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and then wrap it up in cling film and set aside to rest for around 10 minutes.
The Filling
In Kyrgyzstan, people use local ingredients that are readily available. For example, mutton as the meat, and onion, pumpkin, or carrot as the vegetables. For this recipe, I am combining beef mince (or you could use lamb mince), onion, and grated carrot.
With regards to seasoning and spices, you can either make the dish without any, or you can add several tsps of cumin, paprika, and mixed herbs (my preferred option!!). It adds a depth of flavour that compliments the dish!
Wrapping Oromo
What I love about this dish is the simple wrapping technique. Roll out the dough into a large thin wrapper. Cover with olive oil and then gently spread the filling all over the wrapper. It ends up looking like you’re making a giant pizza!
Roll up the dumpling (similar to a Swiss roll), and seal the ends to ensure none of the filling escapes.
You can either shape the dumpling into a circle (or wreath), or if your Oromo is super long, you can create a spiral out of the dumpling and then steam it.
The Toppings
Of course, you can eat this delightful dish without anything else. However, it’s traditional to eat it with a bit of yoghurt and chilli flakes. So, I melted some butter and fried it up with some paprika and chilli which I then poured over the yoghurt to make a spicy tangy topping.
If you love a harissa topping, then you'll want to check out my Pan-Fried Beef Spinach Dumplings. They've got a whipped ricotta and harissa chilli oil drizzle...so good!
Cooking & Serving Oromo
Once you’ve created your Oromo dumpling, place it on a circular piece of baking paper and steam it for 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer and plate up with your desired toppings. Then serve up and enjoy!
Want More Dumpling Recipes?
Check Out My Dumpling World Tour Series
I've set myself a challenge to go around the world in 80 dumplings. Why? Because so many countries share a love for dumplings and every country’s dumplings have their own unique twist. From Varenyky in Ukraine to Banh Bot Loc in Vietnam, dumplings are a way for us to celebrate various cultures and culinary differences from all parts of the globe.
Not all my dumpling recipes are up on my website, yet! So, if you’d like to check them out, head on over to my Instagram for the video tutorial and full recipe!
More Delicious Recipes from my Dumpling World Tour
Oromo (Kyrgyz Dumpling)
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 150g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 30ml water
Filling
- 150g beef mince (a mince of your choice)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Toppings
- 2 tbsp yoghurt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp butter
Other
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For The Dough
- Combine all of the dough ingredients in a bowl. Add more water if the mixture is too dry.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
For The Filling
- In a small bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients. Mix well until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Making The Oromo
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large wrapper (around 20cm in diameter, or bigger if you like). You want to make sure the dough is as thin as possible (1-2mm in thickness).
- Drizzle some olive oil over the wrapper and brush it all over the dough.
- Gently place spoonfuls of the filling onto the wrapper.
- Spread out the mixture evenly across the dough.
- Roll the dumpling up into a log (or a Swiss roll type shape) and then seal the dumpling to avoid any filling coming out.
- Either shape the dumpling into a wreath, or you can spiral the dumpling if it's longer.
Cooking The Dumpling
- Cut out a circular piece of baking paper and place it inside the steamer (this makes it easier to remove the dumpling when it's cooked).
- Gently place the dumpling onto the baking paper and steam for around 15 minutes.
The Toppings
- In a small frying pan, add your butter, chilli flakes, and paprika. Fry for 3 minutes and then pour on top of your yoghurt.
Serving
- Remove the Oromo from the steamer and place it on a plate.
- Drizzle over your chilli paprika yoghurt sauce and enjoy!
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