Naadam Festival Buuz Platter
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Plain flour — 6 cups (750 g / 1 lb 10 oz)
- Water, plus more as needed — 2 cups (480 ml / 16 fl oz)
- Minced mutton or beef — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Onions, finely chopped — 2
- Garlic, minced — 4 cloves
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Caraway seeds — 2 tsp (optional)
Method
- Combine the flour and water to form a smooth, firm dough; rest for 20 minutes.
- Mix the minced meat with the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and caraway seeds if using.
- Divide the dough into small balls and roll each into a thin round.
- Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each round.
- Gather the edges up and pleat them together at the top, pinching to seal into a small pouch shape.
- Arrange the buuz in lightly oiled steamers, working in batches for a large quantity, leaving space between each.
- Steam for 15–20 minutes per batch until the dough is cooked through and the filling is hot.
- Serve generously on large platters for sharing among family and festival guests.
Introduction: A generous platter of steamed meat dumplings prepared in large batches for Naadam, Mongolia’s summer festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing.
Cultural Background: During Naadam, families and communities gather in huge numbers to watch the festival’s traditional sports, and buuz are prepared en masse to feed the crowds, making the communal act of dumpling-folding as much a part of the celebration as the festival itself.
Tips: Enlist several people to help fold the dumplings, as is traditional — Naadam buuz-making is often a communal, multi-generational effort. Keep unfilled dough covered while working, to prevent it from drying out during a large batch.
Variations: Make a portion vegetarian with a cabbage and mushroom filling for guests who don’t eat meat. Prepare extra dough and filling separately, then fold together closer to serving time for the freshest result.
Storage: Refrigerate cooked buuz in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze uncooked for longer storage.
Reheating: Reheat by steaming for 8–10 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx., 4 pieces): 380 kcal, 22 g protein, 16 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate.
FAQs:
Q: How many buuz does a Naadam gathering typically need?
A: Large family gatherings often
Q: Can this be made a day ahead?
A: Yes, the dumplings can be shaped ahead and refrigerated or
- Plain flour — 6 cups (750 g / 1 lb 10 oz)
- Water, plus more as needed — 2 cups (480 ml / 16 fl oz)
- Minced mutton or beef — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Onions, finely chopped — 2
- Garlic, minced — 4 cloves
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Caraway seeds — 2 tsp (optional)
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