Oromo - Kyrgyz rolled dumplings

For the dumpling dough, use a fork to whisk together the egg and 130ml room-temperature water in a bowl

Sift the flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix them together at a low speed, then, with the mixer still running, slowly pour in the egg and water mixture. Increase the mixer’s speed to medium and let it work its magic, pausing occasionally to ensure the flour from the sides of the bowl is being well incorporated, and using a spatula to scrape those sides down if it’s not

After 3–5 minutes, you should have a soft, pliable dough that is tacky to the touch but does not stick to your hands. Form the dough into a ball, then leave it in a bowl covered with a tea towel or cling film, and let it rest for 30 minutes

Heat the oil and butter in a medium sauté pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook for 25–30 minutes, or until the onions are not-quite caramelised: you want some to be dark brown and others to be lighter in colour. You will need to check in on and stir them occasionally to make sure they are neither burning nor sticking to the pan; if they threaten to do either, add a tablespoon of water

Increase the heat to medium and add the carrots and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, along with the black pepper and cumin. Stir to mix everything together. Cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the carrots have softened slightly

Add the fresh herbs, mix well, and cook for a further 2–4 minutes, stirring near constantly, until the herbs are fragrant and have wilted into near oblivion. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, it’s go time

Tip your dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Split the dough into two roughly equal balls. Return one to the bowl and cover with a tea towel while you roll out the other

Lightly dust the top of your dough ball with flour, then roll it out into a very thin 30 × 50cm rectangle. If you can’t get the dough rolled into a perfect rectangle (and, let’s face it, you probably can’t; I certainly can’t), use a knife to trim it to the proper size

Arrange the dough rectangle in a landscape position and spray or lightly brush it with oil, then spread half of your filling onto it. You want to fill the dough rectangle with filling as evenly as you can, leaving a 1 cm border across the long top edge and on both shorter sides

Fold the two shorter dough borders in over the filling. Then, starting from the bottom (the edge with no border), gently but deftly roll up your dumpling into a massive, tight log, coiling the filling and dough into layers as you roll. Take care; you don’t want to break the dumpling skin as you roll it up, but you also want it to be firmly and tightly rolled

When you reach the empty dough border at the top, pull it down gently but tautly over the rolled dumpling log and press to seal

Lightly grease a metal steamer basket or line a bamboo one with baking parchment, then carefully transfer your tube of a dumpling into it, placing it seam-side down. You can choose to either lay your oromo into the steamer in a circle or horseshoe shape, or you can tightly (or not-so-tightly, but always gently) coil the oromo into a snail snape – like a pain au raisin, but in Central-Asian-dumpling form. I find the latter to look more impressive, and the former to be easier to eat

Repeat this process with the second dough ball and the rest of the filling, either placing the second filled oromo in a second, stacked steamer to cook, or wrapping it in cling film and chilling in the refrigerator to wait for your next meal, where it will keep for up to 3 days (or you can freeze it for up to 3 months)

Whether making one or two molluscan dumplings, steam your oromo for 20–30 minutes. Carefully lift each dumpling out of the steamer and enjoy adorned with suzma, freshly ground black pepper, brown butter, caramelised onions, garlicky yoghurt or chilli oil