Рецепты

How to Make Ukrainain Vareniki

Данн Джонсон

Over the past few years, I have fallen in love with making absurd amounts of Vareniki and Pierogi. The dish is a must-have for meal preppers, budget cutters and anyone looking to appreciate hearty peasant cooking. Having made thousands of these beloved dumplings, I felt it natural to share my tried and tested recipe for one of Eastern Europe’s staple dishes.

Derived from the Ukrainian word варити, which means “to boil”, the name comes from the method in which they are cooked. Vareniki are crescent shaped dumplings, often filled with potatoes and other vegetables. While Vareniki are nearly identical to the Polish Pierogi, Ukrainian dumplings tend to have simpler fillings, with meat being a less common additive. The dumpling is a cultural staple thanks to its simple preparation and economical ingredients—not to mention its fantastic taste.

Here is my recipe for a batch of simple Ukrainian Vareniki: 

Batch Size: ~60 Vareniki; makes: ~8-10 servings 

Ingredients:

Dough: 

• 5-6 cups All-Purpose Flour

• 2 eggs

• 6 tablespoons melted butter (vegetable oil may be substituted)

• 4 teaspoons salt

• 1.5 cups water

Filling:

• 3lbs potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold)

• 1 medium white onion

• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

• 4 cups cheddar cheese* 

• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix water, eggs, salt and melted butter (allow the butter to cool down a little to avoid cooking the egg.)

2. Add ½ cup of flour and whisk. Continue adding flour until the dough has reached desired thickness. The dough should be slightly sticky to touch but firm enough to knead.

3. Knead the dough until all added flour has been homogenized.

4. Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes.

5. While the dough is resting, cut potatoes into 1” cubes (Peeling the potatoes is not necessary, but a matter of preference; I prefer not to).

6. Add potatoes to a pot of salted boiling water and let boil for 15 minutes.

7. While potatoes are boiling, finely dice your onion. 

8. Add diced onions to a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and cook until brown.

9. After the potatoes are finished, drain water from the pot. Add heavy cream, onions and cheddar cheese. Mash thoroughly (A lumpy filling makes awkward looking dumplings).

10. Salt and pepper to taste.

11. To form vareniki, roll out the dough into sheets 1/6-1/8 inches thick and cut into 2”- 3” circles (In absence of a circular cookie cutter, I often use an appropriately sized cup).

12. Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of the dough circle. (It is best to assemble the Vareniki while the filling is still warm as it becomes less pliable as it cools).

13. Fold the dough in half over the filling and crimp both sides with a fork.

14. To cook the Vareniki, place in pot of boiling water until 1 minute after they begin floating (~2-3 minutes) (While not traditional, I find pan searing the Vareniki after boiling makes them much better to eat and store).

15. Serve with sauteed onions, sour cream and melted butter.

You now have a batch of affordable, delicious Vareniki! Be warned, the dumplings are quite filling. I find an average meal to be about 5-7 Vareniki. Refrigerate leftovers or freeze for long-term storage. Remember, this recipe is also quite malleable; Feel free to experiment with different fillings to suit your tastes! 

*while inauthentic, I have found that mozzarella also works quite well

Works Cited

https://ukrainian-recipes.com/10-astonishing-facts-about-ukrainian-varenyky.html