Klepe
Small boiled dumplings filled with minced meat, served with garlicky yogurt and paprika butter.
- prep
- 50 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 1 h 5 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- hard
Klepe are tiny, hand-shaped dumplings filled with minced meat, boiled and finished with two toppings at once: a garlicky yogurt and a hot, red paprika butter spooned on right before serving.
They take real patience to shape, which is part of why they're treated as a special dish rather than an everyday one.
Part of our 20 best Bosnian recipes list.
method
Make a firm dough with the flour, egg, a pinch of salt and just enough water to bring it together. Knead until smooth, then rest for 20 minutes, covered.
Mix the ground beef with the grated onion, salt and pepper for the filling.
Roll the dough out very thin, and cut into small squares, about 3cm each.
Place a small amount of filling in the center of each square, and fold or pinch the dough around it into a tiny, sealed dumpling.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the dumplings in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, until they float and the dough is cooked through.
Meanwhile, stir the minced garlic into the yogurt or sour cream.
Melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the paprika, and cook briefly until fragrant and red.
Drain the dumplings, top with the garlicky yogurt, and drizzle with the hot paprika butter. Serve immediately.
chef's tips
- Rolling the dough very thin is important; klepe are meant to be small and delicate, closer to a tortellini than a pierogi.
- The paprika butter needs only a few seconds in the hot butter before it turns a deep red; any longer and the paprika can turn bitter.