Easy Belyashi Recipe Pirozhki

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup milk in a cup or small bowl. Stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the remaining milk into a large bowl.
• Add the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour to the large bowl with the milk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl loosely and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Dough should almost triple in size.
• While you wait for the dough to rise, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has wilted. Mix in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Set this aside for the filling.
• Place the risen dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a long snake about 2 inches wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls by hand until they are 4 to 5 inches across. Place a spoonful of the cabbage filling in the center and fold in half to enclose. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line one or two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place the pirozhki onto the baking sheet, leaving room between them for them to grow.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

FRIED PIROSHKI RECIPE (SAVORY BELYASHI)

Steps:

• To make the dough: combine the wet ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer, followed by the dry ingredients. Knead the dough for 3 minutes. Let rise until doubled (30-45 minutes.)
• To make the filling: Saute the onion in 3 Tbsp of oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. Boil the liver in a quart of water for 20 minutes. Drain and run through a meat grinder with the sauteed onion mixture (or chop in a food processor.) Stir into the mashed potatoes.
• To Shape Piroshki: transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into a 34" long log and cut into 1-inch slices.
• Slightly flatten dough piece and fill with 1 Tbsp of filling. Fold and pinch the edges shut. Place onto a floured tray.
• Fry the Piroshki for 2-3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve Warm!

MEAT PIROSHKI (BELYASHI)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Brown ground beef and turkey, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula. Season meat with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/ tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
• When the meat is almost done, add diced onion and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add shredded carrots and saute another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add 3 tbsp dill, mix well.
• Add mayo, stir well.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water to moisten the meat mix. Transfer meat mix to a bowl and let cool to warm or room temperature.
• The easiest way to do this is in a bread maker. If you have one, set it to the dough setting and add the ingredients in the following order: Oil, water, 2 cups flour, salt, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour, yeast. A bread maker will do the following: mix, let dough rise, mix again and let the dough rise (It takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) and once it's done in the bread maker, its ready to go.
• You can also make this dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook on speed 2(mix all the ingredients together, let rise, mix again and then let it rise in a warm place (like the oven). (It should be 2 to 2 1/2 times in volume). While it's rising, work on the meat filling for piroshki - see below.
• Put the finished dough onto a well floured cutting board, dust the dough with flour and with well-floured hands, shape it into a large log.It will rise more as you make the piroshki.
• Cut off pieces one at a time about 3/4″ thick.
• Place the piece of dough over your well-floured hand (dough will be sticky) and shape it into a 3″ to 4″ circle using your hands. Do not put flour on the side where you are going to put the meat, otherwise the sides won't seal.
• Stir the meat mix to distribute the juices. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of meat filling in the center.Cover the meat with the sides of the dough (being careful not to let oils or juices seep out), and pinch the edges together to seal the dough. Flatten the pirojki slightly to make them a more uniform size.
• Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron dutch oven. There should be enough oil to cover the pirojki half-way up the side.
• Place them in the hot oil (about 330° F) and fry until deep golden brown on each side. Sometimes they puff up a lot on one side so you may end up with a third side that needs to be fried.
• Place on paper towels to cool and enjoy!

EASY BEEF BELYASHI

Steps:

• To make the filling combine the ground beef with pureed onions, season with salt and pepper and add chopped cilantro. Mix everything well, cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
• To make the dough combine all the ingredients except the oil in the mixer bowl and knead on low speed until everything is combined, about 5-7 minutes. Gradually add the oil tablespoon at a time, waiting between each addition until everything is incorporated. After last oil addition knead the dough for 3 more minutes. Cover the dough and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Then transfer the dough onto a well-oiled surface like baking sheet and divide the dough into 14 equal pieces, forming the dough balls. Keep the hands well-oiled as well to keep the dough from sticking.
• Stretch each dough ball on the baking sheet using your hands to make 4,5 inch flat circles.
• Divide the meat filling into 14 equal meat balls and place in the centre of each dough circle. Each dough meat ball should be about 1-2 tablespoons of filling.
• Then gather up the sides of the circle, pinching them together. Leave the small hole in the centre. Press it slightly to release the air between the filling and dough.
• Heat a large non-stick pan or dutch oven over medium high heat with enough oil to cover half of the belyashi.
• Place 3-4 belyashi at a time in hot oil seam side down. It's important not to overcrowd the pan, leaving some space between belyashi as they rise while frying.
• Reduce the heat to medium and fry until deep golden brown. Flip belyashi to the other side, reduce the heat to low and fry for another 4-5 minutes.
• Place on paper towels to cool slightly and enjoy! Try these easy beef belyashi with simple sour cream or your favorite garlic sauce and hot cup of tea.

EASY BELYASHI RECIPE - PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Combine milk and water. Heat in microwave for 45 sec, or on the top stove until barely warm. Add sugar and dry yeast. Mix until sugar dissolves and set it a warm environment to proof, for 15 minutes.
• Add eggs, salt, sour cream and mix everything together with the dough hook attachment (or hand whisker) on medium speed. Add melted butter and mix again.
• Add 1 cup of flour, mix on low, and then ½ cup at a time after that until all flour is incorporated.
• The dough should be thin (starchy) and sticky, unlike for pirozhki baked in the oven.
• Cover the dough in the mixer bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for an hour.
• Filling Instructions:
• While the dough is rising, make the meat filling (or filling of your choice). Rinse and grind meat. Add egg, shredded garlic, onion, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix everything together with a hand mixer on low until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.
• Assembly Instructions:
• The dough should triple in size. Scrape the sides of the mixer with a silicone spatula to deflate the bubbles. Dip your finger in oil and pinch off chunks about ½ cup in size. Flatten each chunk of dough with your hands, place some filling on each dough pancake, bring the surround edges together and pinch to seal in the filling.
• Pinch the edges together tightly so they don't come apart at the seams, especially when deep frying. Dip your hands in oil again if necessary and shape the Belyashi into an oval shape.
• Frying Instructions:
• Pour half a small saucepan of oil. Heat the oil to 300F. Place as many Belyashi as will fit on the surface without overlay. Fry Belyashi for about 2 min on each side or until golden brown.
• Place fried Belyashi onto a paper towel to soak in excess oil. Repeat the same steps with the rest of the dough and filling. Form a few Belyashis at a time, while others are frying. Do not make all Belyashi at once then fry them, because they will rise too much by the time they make it in the oil, and will be very airy inside once fried. Not pretty! :)
• Cool Belyashi for about 15 minutes and enjoy!

BEEF PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Combine 1 scant cup of warm milk and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let sit until foamy and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, egg, butter, and almost all of the flour, holding back a small amount in case dough gets too dry.
• Knead in the mixer until dough is soft and supple. Scrape dough onto your work surface. Grease the bowl with a few drops of oil and place dough back in. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• In the meantime, heat olive oil and butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, ground beef, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook beef, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Stir dill into the beef mixture. Add chicken broth and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Let filling cool completely.
• Transfer dough to a work surface. Press out air bubbles. Pinch off a piece of dough and form into a ball; press into a disc. Dust with a minimal amount of flour and roll into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Dip your finger in water and dampen the edges of the circle.
• Place dough circle in 1 hand and add a few tablespoons of the beef filling. Pinch edges together to seal. Place pirozhki on the table seam-side up and pinch off any excess dough; too much dough will make it hard to fry. Moisten the center of the seam with water. Fold the 2 ends inward and flip pirozhki over, seam-side down; press down lightly.
• Form the remaining pirozhki and let them rest until dough rises slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry pirozhki in batches, seam-side down, until golden brown, about 90 seconds. Flip and fry until browned on the other side, about 90 seconds more. Drain on paper towels and cool for a few minutes.

BEEF & ONION PIROSHKI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; crumble beef; drain. Cool to room temperature., Stir the spinach, cheese, sour cream and dill into the beef mixture. On a lightly floured surface, roll a puff-pastry sheet into a 12-in. square. Cut into sixteen 3-in. squares. Repeat with remaining sheet., Spoon 1 tablespoon beef mixture onto the center of each square. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle; press edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to greased baking sheets. Whisk egg and water; brush over tops. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 14-16 minutes.