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    Home » MAINS

    Fried Pork Dumplings With Cheese & Sour Cream

    Published: May 10, 2021 · Updated: September 5, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Ultimate comfort food alert! Not for the faint-hearted, these Fried Pork Dumplings (also known as Kepti Koldunai in Lithuania) are fried in oil to crisp up, then covered with a blanket of sour cream and cheese and then baked until the cheese melts, starts to bubble and brown! Tasty, filling and full of guilt, these Lithuanian dumplings are the best plate of food when you simply need to forget the calories and enjoy some “fried food with cheese”!

    Take Me To:
    • Ultimate Naughty Food
    • Is It Difficult To Make Crispy Pork Dumplings From Scratch?
    • Ingredients
    • Method
      • STEP 1: How To Make The Dough For Dumplings?
      • STEP 2: Make The Dumpling Filling
      • STEP 3: How To Shape Pork Dumplings?
      • STEP 4: Fry The Dumplings
      • STEP 5: Bake The Dumplings With Cheese, Ham and Sour Cream
    • Recipe FAQs
    • What Do You Eat Pork Dumplings With?
    • Other Lithuanian Food Recipes
    • Other Comfort Food Recipes
    • Recipe Card

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    Ultimate Naughty Food

    Generally speaking, we like healthy food. We eat lots of fruit and vegetables and love salads! But… There are days when you just need to have that cheesy pizza, those big burgers or a deep-fried snack and nothing will stop you. This fried pork dumplings with cheese recipe is for those days! Two things about it:

    1. It is not for the faint-hearted. It is calorific, it is filling and it is the ULTIMATE unhealthy comfort food that simply makes you feel so good for all the bad reasons. There’s no way I can sugar-coat it. It is one of those dishes that you keep on going back to, although you know you shouldn’t.
    2. The recipe is inspired by the dish in one of the restaurants in Lithuanian that I would often go to as a child and as a teenager! It was called ‘Gruzdinti Koldunai’ but is more widely known as ‘Kepti Koldunai’ in Lithuania. We never ever made this at home ourselves when I was growing up though. But I just couldn’t;t stop recreating it in my kitchen when I grew up and moved far away from the restaurant that served them!
    An individual blue ovenproof dish full of fried pork dumplings with cheese, sour cream and ham, garnished with fresh dill.

    Is It Difficult To Make Crispy Pork Dumplings From Scratch?

    Making the dumplings from scratch may seem like a daunting task, but it is actually very quick and easy. If you ever made your own pasta, we can tell you it’s much easier in comparison. You don’t need a pasta machine as the dough can be rolled out a bit thicker, the dough itself is a lot more pliable and easier to handle, and since your fried dumplings will be covered with cheese and sour cream blanket, you really don’t need to worry about uniformity!

    Ready? Let’s cook!

    Ingredients

    Here’s what to look for in your cupboards and shop for:

    • plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour.
    • egg: use large in the UK, and extra-large in the US.
    • pork mince (ground pork): you may choose lean pork mince if you wish.
    • onion: brown or white, or it can be replaced with a couple of small shallots.
    • garlic powder: can be substituted with a small minced garlic clove.
    • oil: vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil for frying.
    • cooked ham: you can use shop-bought thick-cut ham slices or any leftover baked gammon/ ham cut into small thin pieces.
    • sour cream: can be replaced with creme fraiche.
    • cheese: Emmental, young Gouda or mild Cheddar will work beautifully with these crispy pork dumplings.
    • fresh dill: optional.

    Method

    STEP 1: How To Make The Dough For Dumplings?

    To make the dough, place plain (all-purpose) flour on a kitchen surface and make a well in the middle. Pour in the water and crack an egg in the middle. Then using your fingers, start pinching the flour and water together. Once the dough starts to come together, start kneading. If your dough is too wet, add some more flour, if it’s too dry, add a drop of water.

    Knead for approximately 5 minutes, then cover with cling film (we love Kirkland Signature Clingfilm – it is strong and easy to use) and leave to rest at room temperature for 30min. During this time, dumpling dough relaxes and the gluten in the flour develops further, making it easier to work with later.

    Flour with a well in the middle with water and an egg in the middle.
    a ball of dumpling dough on a kitchen surface.

    STEP 2: Make The Dumpling Filling

    Whilst the dumpling dough is resting, make the filling. Add a teaspoon of butter or oil to a small frying pan. Sautee the chopped onions just until starting to soften and turn translucent but don’t let them brown. Leave them in the pan to cool down.

    Add the cooled onions, garlic powder and some seasoning to your pork mince and mix. That’s the pork filling for dumplings ready!

    STEP 3: How To Shape Pork Dumplings?

    Once the dough has rested, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a thin (approx. 3mm thick) sheet. Use flour deliberately to dust the surface, to ensure your dough doesn’t stick.

    Using a cookie cutter or a thin rim of a wine glass (approximately 6 cm in diameter), cut circles out of your dough. Place a teaspoon of pork mixture in the centre of each dough circle.

    Fold the dough over to form a half-circle and press down on the edges to seal in the pork filling. Draw the two bottom corners of the half-circle and press them together. Place the pork dumplings on a well-floured board as you go.

    Cutting circles of thinly rolled dumpling dough.
    A dumpling dough circle folded over the filling forming a semi-circle.
    Shaped pork dumpling on floured wooden chopping boards.

    STEP 4: Fry The Dumplings

    Heat the oil in a large wide-based pan. You will need enough oil to cover the dumplings halfway up, but if you choose to deep-fry, that’s perfectly fine too!

    Carefully drop the dumpling into the hot oil. Fry on medium heat for approx 7-10 minutes, turning them often until they are lovely golden brown and crisp. If unsure, cut one of the dumplings open to check that the pork filling is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, take them out of the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. The paper towel will absorb any excess oil.

    You now should have a large batch of crispy pork dumplings in front of you.

    STEP 5: Bake The Dumplings With Cheese, Ham and Sour Cream

    Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.

    Place the crispy pork dumplings into an ovenproof dish or individual pie dishes. Spread the sour cream (or creme fraiche) on top, and scatter the ham and grated cheese. Place the dish in the oven for approx 7-10 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown.

    Scatter some fresh dill on top just before serving.

    Shaped pork dumplings, grated cheese, sour cream, ham and dill on a white surface.
    Dumplings frying in oil in a non-stick frying pan.
    Fried Pork Dumplings on  a piece of paper towel.
    Sour Cream, ham and grated cheese layer is added on top of the dumplings.
    Pork Dumplings with Cheese, Sour Cream and Ham Blanket in a white ovenproof dish.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I Use Different Meat In The Filling?

    Yes, you can! These dumplings work well with ground chicken or turkey too!

    Can You Really Fry Dumplings Dumplings Without Boiling Them First?

    Absolutely! The most important thing here is to make sure the filling is cooked through. Since the crispy pork dumplings are rather small, they don’t take long to cook through in hot oil – they only take 7-10 minutes. They should be fully cooked before going into the oven, so if you’re unsure, cut one dumpling in half and check that the meat inside isn’t pink.

    What Is The Best Way To Fry Dumplings?

    These Lithuanian Dumplings are best deep-fried for the crispiest result, however… We truly believe that you can achieve very similar results by frying them in a pan with just enough oil to cover them halfway up. This way you are less wasteful by using half the amount of oil you would need for deep drying. You can also fry the dumplings in batches using a smaller frying pan and save more oil.

    What Do You Eat Pork Dumplings With?

    These Fried Pork Dumplings With Cheese are extremely filling and satisfying to eat! And they are best served with a healthy and nutritious side dish, like:

    • Fried Tenderstem Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon (Garlic Broccolini)
    • Sauteed Spring Greens With Lemon & Thyme
    • Garlicky Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction
    One fried pork dumpling on the fork being picked up from a blue ovenproof dish.

    Other Lithuanian Food Recipes

    If you liked our version of Lithuanian Dumplings (Kepti Koldunai), you may be interested in trying some more recipes from this beautiful country. More traditional Lithuanian recipes include:

    • Lithuanian Honey Cake With Fourteen Layers
    • Lithuanian Summer Beetroot Soup a.k.a Pink Soup
    • Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

    Other Comfort Food Recipes

    If you’re after more ‘guilty-pleasure’ food ideas, here, at Somebody Feed Seb, we love the following:

    • Canadian Poutine with Chicken & Gravy
    • Spicy Bean Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
    • Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Creamy Garlicky Kale

    Recipe Card

    Pork Dumplings

    Fried Pork Dumplings With Cheese & Sour Cream

    Ultimate comfort food alert! Not for the faint-hearted, these Fried Pork Dumplings are fried in oil to crisp up, then covered with a blanket of ham, sour cream and cheese and then baked until the cheese melts, starts to bubble and brown! Tasty, filling and full of guilt, this dumpling bake is the best plate of food when you simply need to forget the calories and enjoy some 'fried food with cheese'!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Resting Time: 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine Lithuanian
    Servings 4 portions
    Calories 740 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Dough:

    • 320 g plain flour
    • 1 egg large
    • 120 ml water

    For Pork Filling:

    • 300 g pork mince
    • 1 small onion finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic power
    • 300 ml vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil for frying

    For the Topping:

    • 60 g cooked ham cut into small thin pieces
    • 200 ml sour cream or creme fraiche
    • 150 g Emmental, young Gouda or mild Cheddar coarsely grated
    • 2 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped

    Instructions
     

    • To make the dough, place plain flour on a kitchen surface and make a well in the middle. Pour in the water and crack an egg in the middle. Then using your fingers, start pinching the flour and water together. Once the dough starts to come together, start kneading. If your dough is too wet, add some more flour, if it's too dry, add a drop of water. Knead for approx 5 minutes, then cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 30min.
    • In the meantime, make the filling. Add a teaspoon of butter or oil to a small frying pan. Sautee the chopped onions just until starting to soften and turning translucent but don't let them brown. Leave them in the pan to cool down.
    • Add the cooled onions, garlic powder and some seasoning to your pork mince and mix.
    • Once the dough has rested, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a thin (approx. 3mm) sheet. Use flour deliberately to dust the surface, to ensure your dough doesn't stick.
    • Using a cookie cutter or a thin rim of a wine glass (approx 6 cm in diameter), cut circles out of your dough. Place a teaspoon of pork mix in the centre of each dough circle. Then fold the dough over to form a half-circle and press down to seal in the filling. Draw the two bottom corners of the half-circle and press them together. Place the dumplings on a well-floured board and transfer them to the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
    • Heat the oil in a large wide-based pan. Carefully drop the dumpling into the hot oil. Fry on low-medium heat for approx 7-10 minutes, turning them often until they are lovely golden brown and crisp. If unsure, cut one of the dumplings open to check that the filling is cooked through. Preheat the oven to 180° C Fan.
    • Using a slotted spoon, lift the dumplings out onto a plate lined with some kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Then transfer the dumplings into an ovenproof dish or individual pie dishes. Spread the sour cream (or creme fraiche) on top, scatter the ham and grated cheese. Place the dish in the oven for approx 15 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Sprinkle some fresh dill on top just before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 740kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 37gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 578mgPotassium: 551mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 456IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 370mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword Cili Pica Koldunai, Cili Picos Gruzdinti Koldunai, Comfort Food Recipes, Dumplings With Cheese, Dumplings With Sour Cream, Fried Dumpling Bake with Cheese, Fried Dumpling Recipe, Fried Dumplings, Fried Pork Dumplings, Fried Pork Dumplings with Cheese, Kepti Koldunai, Koldunai, Lithuanian Koldunai, Pork Dumpling Recipe, Pork Dumplings, Pork Dumplings with Cheese
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kate

      May 21, 2021 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, what perfect comfort food! So many gorgeous flavours and textures in here – delicious!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        May 21, 2021 at 8:17 pm

        Thanks for the lovely feedback, Kate!

        Reply
    2. Beth Sachs

      June 01, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Oh wow this is the ultimate comfort food! So tasty and cheesy!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        June 01, 2021 at 7:19 pm

        Yes! Fried dumplings with cheese – simply the best thing in the world, right? 🙂

        Reply
    3. Nic

      April 25, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      5 stars
      Holy. cow. These were amazing. what a great comfort food meal!!!! We will be making these again, and I already can’t wait for next time. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 26, 2022 at 7:21 am

        Thanks, Nic! So happy you tried these 🙂 Amazing how much better dumplings taste when made from scratch and with a good amount of creme fraiche and cheese on top 😉

        Reply
    4. kushigalu

      April 30, 2022 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      Totally in love with the flavors. Such a great dish. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 30, 2022 at 4:52 pm

        You are most welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Sisley White - Sew White

      May 06, 2022 at 11:09 am

      My partner loves these! Pork dumplings are so popular in our house.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        May 06, 2022 at 1:12 pm

        So glad! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Dannii

      July 22, 2022 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      These dumplings were amazing. This was a proper comforting meal.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        July 22, 2022 at 9:53 pm

        Yes! We love them on a chilly winter day!

        Reply
    7. Natalie

      September 06, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      These pork dumplings are one of the best meals I prepared in a long time! Love your recipe, thanks!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        September 07, 2022 at 5:51 am

        Thanks, Natalie, for such kind feedback! 💗

        Reply
    8. Anjali

      October 13, 2022 at 7:22 am

      5 stars
      These look so hearty and delicious! Can’t wait to try them soon!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 13, 2022 at 3:02 pm

        Hope you like them! 🙂

        Reply

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    A photo of Ieva lookinf at Seb, both smiling.

    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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