Khuushuur

What it is

Khuushuur is a fried meat pastry: a round of thin wheat dough, roughly 10 cm across, folded over a filling of minced meat and sealed along a crimped edge into a flat half-moon. The filling is usually fatty minced mutton or lamb, sometimes beef, mixed with finely chopped onion and salt, and some cooks add garlic, pepper or caraway. Versions filled with potato, carrot or cabbage exist but are less common.

Like buuz and bansh, khuushuur belongs to a family of dumplings that came to Mongolia through contact with Chinese cooking, since wheat was not traditionally grown by nomadic herders. Its name is thought to come from the Chinese huoshao'er, a type of baked or fried flatbread.

How it is made

The dough is a simple mix of flour and water, rolled thin so that it crisps in the oil. A spoonful of raw filling goes on one half, the dough is folded over, and the edge is pressed and pleated to seal in the juices. The pastries are then deep-fried until golden; some cooks pan-fry them instead, and some finish them briefly in the oven. Because the meat goes in raw, it steams inside the pastry while the outside fries, and a good khuushuur is crisp outside and juicy within.

When and where to try it

Khuushuur is the food most closely associated with Naadam, the summer festival of wrestling, horse racing and archery held in Ulaanbaatar from 11 to 13 July and in towns and villages through the summer. Around the stadium and at the race grounds, stalls and tents fry khuushuur all day, and eating one between events is part of the festival for many Mongolians.

Outside Naadam, khuushuur is sold in guanz (small canteens), in roadside cafes on long drives and in markets, and it is a common snack on the move. Countryside families also make it at home, especially in summer.

Etiquette and tips

• Khuushuur is eaten with the hands. Hold it upright for the first bite, as the juice inside can be very hot.
• At busy Naadam stalls, buying from a place where pastries are coming straight out of the oil is the simplest way to get them hot and freshly cooked.
• Pair it with a bowl of suutei tsai (salted milk tea) the way many Mongolians do.
• It is filling and fatty. One or two make a meal, so you need not order a large plate.
• If you do not eat meat, ask about vegetable fillings in advance; they are more likely in Ulaanbaatar than in rural areas.