Making kalduny is a skill passed down through families. The dough is rolled out thinly, then small circles are cut out. A spoonful of filling goes in the centre, and the edges are pinched tightly together — this is very important, because if a dumpling opens while cooking, the filling falls out into the pot!
The most traditional fillings are minced meat (usually beef or pork) mixed with onion and herbs, or a mixture of wild mushrooms and potato. In areas close to the forests of Belavezhskaya Pushcha, mushroom kalduny are especially popular because wild mushrooms are so easy to find.
Once filled and sealed, kalduny are dropped into boiling salted water and cooked for about 10–15 minutes until they bob to the surface — that is how you know they are ready. They can also be fried in butter until the outside is lightly crispy.
Kalduny are a dish for sharing. In a typical Belarusian home, a big batch is made — sometimes hundreds at a time — and the whole family sits around the table together to eat them. Extra kalduny can be frozen and cooked another day, so many families keep a supply in their freezer for busy weeknights.