Makes 12 dumplings
These are sort of like samosas—but certainly easier to make. They can be a terrific dinner with a chopped salad on the side—or great snacks for an afternoon on the deck. Remember: Use supermarket, bread-aisle rye bread, not the fancy stuff from the bakery. If you don’t want to make the cranberry sauce, serve with store-bought cranberry chutney or cranberry relish.
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 7 ounces)
⅓ cup water
¼ cup granulated white sugar
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground dried ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 9 ounces total), peeled and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
12 fresh rye bread slices, preferably seeded rye (about 1¼ ounces per slice)
About 2 cups peanut or canola oil
1. Stir the cranberries, water, sugar, honey, vinegar, cinnamon, dried ginger, cloves, and salt in a large saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the berries are soft and the sauce has thickened a bit, about 20 minutes. Set the sauce aside to cool for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2. Fill a large saucepan with water, add the potatoes, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander set in the sink. Pour them into a medium bowl and add the butter, yogurt, and curry powder. Use a potato masher or a pastry cutter to mash thoroughly, until no lumps remain. Cool the potato filling for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cut the crusts off the bread slices. On a clean, dry work surface, use a rolling pin to roll each one to a flattened square, less than ¼ inch thick but not really larger than the original slice, just much more compressed.
5. Put a small bowl of water near your work space. Place about 1½ tablespoons of the potato filling in the middle of one piece of bread. Using clean fingers, dip them in the water and moisten the four edges of the bread. Fold the bread square crosswise in half, enclosing the filling. Press the edges firmly together to seal. Set aside and make 11 more filled dumplings.
6. Pour enough oil into a 10-inch high-sided skillet or sauté pan to make a depth of about 1 inch. Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pan, set it over medium heat, and bring the oil up to 350°F.
7. Fry the stuffed dumplings two or three at a time, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to drain and continue until all the dumplings have been fried. Serve with the cranberry sauce spooned on top or on the side.