This recipe for cooking Turkey (bird) dumplings with Iranian saffron makes small baked pastries filled with turkey, mushrooms, onion and cheese, then brushed with a golden saffron-and-egg-yolk glaze.
The older recipe calls them both “bird dumplings” and “Turkey (bird) donuts.” Their method is closer to Iranian-style baked stuffed dumplings or turnovers: a soft yeast-and-yogurt dough is cut into rounds, folded over a savory filling and baked rather than boiled.
Ingredients for the dumpling dough
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 4 tablespoons melted shortening or neutral cooking oil
- 1 dessertspoon active dry yeast, about 2 teaspoons
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup thick plain yogurt
- About 4 cups wheat flour, plus a little for rolling
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
The unusual “tablespoon jam” wording in the old version referred to a small dessertspoon measure, not fruit jam. Add the flour gradually; the exact amount depends on the eggs, yogurt and how the flour was measured.
Ingredients for the turkey filling and saffron glaze
- 300 g minced turkey
- 200 g mushrooms, chopped
- 100 g pizza cheese, mozzarella or another mild melting cheese
- 3 tablespoons golden fried onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water or unsalted broth
- 1 lamb or meat stock cube, optional
- Black pepper, as needed
- Neutral oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons at most
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon bloomed Iranian saffron
A stock cube is optional. If you use one, dissolve it in the half-cup of water and wait until the filling is nearly finished before deciding whether it needs salt.
Activate the yeast
Put the yeast in a small bowl with one tablespoon of the sugar and the 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir, cover and leave it for about 15 minutes. It should become creamy or lightly foamy.
The water should feel comfortably warm, not hot. If the yeast shows no activity after 15 minutes, replace it before mixing the dough; an inactive yeast mixture will leave the dumplings heavy.
Mix and rest the dough
Whisk the two whole eggs with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the melted shortening or oil. In a separate bowl, stir the baking powder into the thick yogurt, then add it to the egg mixture. Mix in the activated yeast.
Add the flour one cup at a time. When the mixture becomes too firm for a spoon, knead it gently until it forms a soft dough that no longer clings heavily to your hands. Do not force in all four cups if the dough is already smooth, and avoid adding extra flour simply to make it completely dry.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel or reusable cover and leave it in a comfortably warm place for about one hour, until it has visibly risen and is close to double its original volume.
Cook the turkey and mushroom filling
While the dough rises, heat a wide pan over medium heat with no more than two to three tablespoons of oil. Add the minced turkey and break it into small pieces. Cook until there is no pink meat left.
Stir in the fried onion, tomato paste and black pepper. Cook for two minutes, then add the chopped mushrooms. Continue until the mushrooms shrink and the moisture they release has mostly evaporated.
Add the half-cup of water or the dissolved stock mixture. Simmer until the liquid has cooked away and the filling is moist but not wet. Ground turkey should reach 165°F (74°C). Remove the pan from the heat, fold in the 100 g cheese, and spread the filling on a plate so it can cool before assembly.
Cooling matters. Hot filling softens the dough, while excess liquid can open the seams in the oven.
Shape the Turkey (bird) dumplings
Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Lightly grease a baking tray or line it with baking paper.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it to about 5 mm, or half a centimeter, thick. Cut 7 cm rounds with a pastry cutter or the rim of a small bowl, gathering and rerolling the scraps only once so they do not become tough.
Place one dough round in your palm and set a full tablespoon of cooled turkey filling in the center. Fold the round into a semicircle. Press out large air pockets, then seal the edge firmly. You can turn over a narrow half-centimeter border and pinch it into a rope-like pattern, or press the edge with a fork.
Arrange the filled dumplings on the prepared tray with a little room between them. If a seam will not stay closed, remove a small amount of filling rather than stretching the dough over it.
Brush with saffron and bake
Whisk the two egg yolks with one tablespoon of bloomed saffron. If you are beginning with dry threads, first make a concentrated infusion using this guide to brewing Iranian saffron.
Brush a thin, even coat over each dumpling. Bake on the middle rack at 200°C. The original recipe gives 45 minutes; begin checking earlier and remove the tray when the pastries are risen, evenly golden and firm underneath, which may take 30 to 45 minutes depending on their size and the oven.
Let the baked dumplings rest on the tray for five minutes before moving them to a rack. Serve them warm, when the crust is tender and the cheese in the turkey-and-mushroom filling is still soft.
How to keep the dumplings neat and tender
- Keep the filling dry: simmer away visible liquid before adding the cheese.
- Let the filling cool: warm filling makes the dough difficult to seal.
- Do not overfill: one measured tablespoon is enough for a 7 cm round.
- Add flour gradually: a soft dough produces a lighter pastry than a stiff, flour-heavy one.
- Seal clean edges: filling or oil caught in the seam can make it open during baking.
These Iranian dumplings are best on the day they are baked. Refrigerate leftovers promptly, then reheat them in a moderate oven until the filling is hot throughout; this restores the crust better than a microwave.
