Origin: Poland, Eastern Europe
Type: Dumplings
Main Fillings: Sauerkraut, Mushroom, Cottage Cheese, Potatoes, Cabbage, Various Meats
About Pierogi
Pierogi are a traditional Polish dumpling that can be boiled to tender perfection or pan-fried to crispy goodness. You can fill them with just about anything, including both savoury and sweet fillings. Savoury fillings include a range of vegetables and occasionally meat, and sweet fillings are usually sweet fruits or berries!
See below for our Pierogi recipe!
What Zsófi Says About Pierogi:
The ultimate Polish comfort food, pierogi are beautifully light dumplings which are filled with various fillings such as sauerkraut, mushroom, cottage cheese, potatoes, cabbage, or different meats. Putting a twist on the original Chinese dumpling recipe, the Polish have been cooking pierogi since the 13th century. Preparing the dish is fairly easy, for the dough, you need flour, water, oil, and salt. Once mixed, you cut the dough into circles and place the filling of your choice in the middle. It is soft and light if boiled and crispy and crusty if pan fried in oil.
Pierogi has taken the world by storm in recent years. Following the lead from Poland’s annual pierogi festival, Polish and Ukrainian immigrant communities have started many interesting and strange pierogi-based traditions. There are pierogi festivals in Georgia and Indiana, and even a Great Pierogi Race in Pittsburgh organised by the Pirates baseball team. The North-American region also bore witness to the birth of many khm…unusual flavours such as cheddar cheese or jalapeno. As much as I am a jalapeno fan, my recommendations would definitely be a lovely medley of savoury fillings, like sauerkraut and mushrooms or a cottage cheese and potato flavour.
Read Zsófi’s full guide to Eastern European food!
Pierogi Recipe
Pierogi Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Fillings of your choice: sauerkraut, mushrooms, cottage cheese, potatoes, cabbage, various meats
Optional toppings: sour cream, fried onions, chopped herbs
Pierogi Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Create a well in the centre and pour in the warm water and vegetable oil.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary to stop it from sticking. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
While the dough rests, prepare your fillings. Of course this will depend on the fillings, but chop, cook and/or season them so that they’re ready to go into the dumplings.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 of a centimetre thick. It’s best to use a circle cutter to cut out the dough, but if you don’t have one you can cut them with a knife or cut circles with a glass.
Put a teaspoonful of filling in the middle of each circle. Be careful not to put too much filling in, otherwise they will break when you cook them! Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then pinch the edges firmly to seal.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Drop the pierogi into the water in batches, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until they float to the surface.
Remove the cooked pierogi with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a serving dish. Enjoy!