The article presents the reader with a step-by-step recipe (with photo) of kefir fried pies with cabbage, as well as other, similar types of toppings. For those who are not familiar with the principle of cooking this home-made dish, there will be a few important tips and recommendations on how to make the pies as tasty as possible.
Which dough is better?
For fried pies with cabbage and potatoes, the recipe for kefir is the most optimal, since the dough of this type is versatile, which means it goes well with any kind of toppings. An additional plus is that you do not have to wait long for it to come up and gain strength, as is the case with yeast dough, which is very convenient: literally in an hour of work you can get a whole mountain of fragrant pies with a crispy crust and tender filling.
So, the dough for fried pies on kefir with cabbage will require the following proportions:
- 400 ml of kefir;
- two eggs;
- 1 tbsp. l granulated sugar;
- 1/2 tsp salts;
- 1 tsp with a small slide of soda;
- 600-800 grams of sifted flour.
In extreme cases, kefir can be replaced with yogurt or fermented baked milk, which have similar properties and make the dough light and airy.
How to cook dough for pies in a pan?
According to the recipe, kefir pies with cabbage are made from soft, almost floating dough, which gives a crispy crust, but a delicate structure inside. That is why the amount of flour in such a recipe is always given approximate, since in the kneading process you need to navigate the state of the test and add flour as necessary. Kefir should be at room temperature or slightly warmed up (not higher than 40 degrees), dissolve salt and sugar in it, add eggs and slightly beat with a fork. It is imperative to sift the flour through a sieve, if time permits - more than once, because this process actively enriches the product with oxygen, which will enable the dough to become more magnificent. Combine the prepared flour with soda and add half the portion to the kefir mass. Stir to a uniform state (do not use a blender!), And then continue kneading, adding the remaining flour in small portions.
It is important not to clog the dough with a large amount of flour: it should remain very soft, slightly floating on the table, but not stick to your hands. Knead it thoroughly and leave in a bowl under a towel for ten minutes.
Cabbage filling
Fried cabbage for fried pies on kefir should be cooked before kneading the dough, because it should have time to cool. The first step is to peel two onions and one medium-sized carrot, chop the onion in half rings, and grate the carrots. Then 1/2 finely chop cabbage, sprinkle lightly with salt (one pinch) and crush with your hands, simulating a dough mix.
This is done so that the cabbage starts the juice and passes heat treatment faster, without losing its beneficial substances. It is good to warm the pan with 2-4 tbsp. l vegetable oil, put onion there and sauté it until transparent, then add carrots and continue the process until it becomes soft. Put the cabbage in the pan, mix all the vegetables well and continue the heat treatment until cooked. Before preparing the pies, the filling should be cooled to room temperature.
With cabbage and potatoes
Kefir fried pies can be combined with filling: you can add mashed potato to the cabbage and get a more satisfying version of the filler for the dough. How to make mashed potatoes, there is no need to explain, but the ratio of cabbage and potatoes in the filling should be 2: 1, then the potato does not block the taste of cabbage, although for some it is a matter of taste.
You should also not add milk, cream or butter to mashed potatoes, as is done in ordinary cases, but a little allspice or coriander can be - this will give the filling a more pleasant spicy aroma.
With prunes
To diversify a simple recipe for fried pies with cabbage (on kefir), you can use the filling, adding the whole ingredient to it. Moreover, such an introduction will completely make the baking so spicy that you will use this filling more often than others. This mysterious product is prunes. Before using it to prepare the filling, the prunes should be soaked in warm water for several minutes, then dried with a napkin and cut into thin strips or just small cubes. Mix the fried cabbage prepared according to the recipe above with chopped dried fruits and season with a small pinch of allspice. We use the resulting filling for making pies according to the classic recipe, but it can also be used for stuffing pancakes, lean pasties and oven pies.
Product Forming
Kefir fried pies with cabbage usually have the shape of an oval, sometimes a circle, although some like triangular pies. This does not make any difference, because the shape of the product does not affect its taste at all, but it so happened by tradition that in our country pies are most often welcomed in the shape of an oval (or a petal, as some call it).
To do this, there are two options for cutting dough for pies:
- Grandma’s method: it requires a certain dose of dexterity and a good eye, if you want the pies to have the same shape. If this is not important, then you should not worry at all. Divide the finished dough into sausages 4-5 cm thick and cut them into pieces 2 cm long. Roll each piece of dough into a cake no more than one cm thick, put the filling on the center and, turning the edges to the center, cover it, pressing firmly with your fingers. Put on a table sprinkled with flour, seam down.
- Lazy way. Roll out the whole piece of dough into a large flat cake 1 cm thick and cut circles with a small saucer, and then follow the instructions above. According to some housewives, this method is faster, although not everyone likes to roll a large amount of dough at a time.
How to fry pies?
To make fried pies on kefir with cabbage (albeit with any other filling too) a success, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- Before lowering the product into the pan, it is necessary to warm the oil in it well over medium heat. When the dough gets into poorly heated fat, it begins to absorb it into itself, turning not into a pie, but into a misunderstanding. At the same time, it is important that the oil does not boil too much during the process of frying the pies, otherwise the pies on the outside will be too fried, and on the contrary, they will be raw.
- Be sure to remove the pastries on a paper towel or clean canvas so that they absorb excess oil. Then the pies will be not only with a crispy crust, but also without the disgusting smack of greasy dough.
- There should be enough oil in the pan so that the pies could freely float in it, drowning to the middle, and it’s better to completely fry it in deep fat.