Is it possible to cook pelmeni (пельмени) — Russian meat dumplings — in the microwave without any precooking either in pot or on pan? What are the steps?
It is possible, but considering the fact that the filling for pelmeni isn't pre-cooked (in any recipe that I've seen), you want to make sure to cook it thoroughly.
You can place them in a microwave safe bowl with water and cook them for 9-12 minutes until done.
You can also place pelmeni in a single layer on a plate. Cover with a wet paper towel or clean cloth - it should be thoroughly wet. Cook on high, checking every few minutes to make sure the towel or cloth is still wet. Again, do this for 9-12 minutes.
There's no significant time-savings over doing this on the stove-top, but if you only have a microwave available, it works. They taste better on the stove top.
Anything that is normally cooked by simmering / boiling in liquid can be cooked in a microwave in the same way, if your microwave can keep the liquid simmering.
So for pelmeni just put them in a bowl of salted boiling water (use a kettle or the microwave to bring it to the boil first), bring back to a simmer and cook on high for the same length of time you'd cook them in a pan on the stove. If your microwave is not powerful enough to keep the water simmering, cook smaller amounts at a time.
It's less efficient than doing it on the stove, takes more time and is more fuss. The pelmeni will take longer to come back to a simmer than they would on the stove, so the dough will be relatively overcooked and soft.