Polish Uszka with Mushrooms (Small Dumplings)

Rehydrating Dried Mushrooms. Place dried wild mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the mushrooms soak for about 30 minutes, or until they become soft. Drain the mushrooms and chop them finely. (Keep the water, you can add it to your beetroot soup.

Cooking the Filling. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add finely diced white onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. Stir in finely diced white mushrooms and the rehydrated wild mushrooms. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through and most of the moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then remove the frying pan from heat, transfer filling to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Mixing Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine plain flour and 1 tsp of salt. Make a well in the centre and add room temperature water, and 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Kneading the Dough. Mix the ingredients together until a dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic (If the dough seems to wet add a little bit more flour). Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Rolling and Cutting the Dough. Divide the rested dough into 4 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one part of the dough to about 1/16-inch thickness. Using a round cutter (about 2 inches in diameter), cut out circles from the dough.

Filling the Dough Circles. Place a small amount of the mushroom filling in the centre of each dough circle.

Form a Dumpling. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape, pressing the edges to seal.

Fold to form Uszka. Bring the corners of the half-moon together and press them to seal, forming a tortellini-like shape.

Cooking the Uszka. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the Uszka to the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until they float to the top. Remove the Uszka with a slotted spoon and serve them hot, perhaps with a Borscht soup.