Russian Fried Pastries
Traditional Russian Pastries with various fillings. Can be both savory and sweet.
Servings: 24 pastries
Calories: 197kcal
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Medium saucepan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup sour milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
For the potato filling:
- 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the cherry filling:
- 2 cups cherries, pitted (can be from a compote, or frozen or fresh)
- ½ cup sugar
- 200 ml vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Cook the potatoes:
- Wash, peel and chop the potatoes. Place them in a medium-large pot, filled with salted water. Bring to boil and cook for about 12-15 minutes, depending on the type of potato and how big the chunks are. Test with a knife or a fork, if the potato slides off easy, it is cooked.
- While the potatoes are cooking, chop the onion. Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small frying pan, add the onions and fry them till soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the potatoes are cooked through, remove from heat and drain the water.Add the milk to the potatoes, and mash with a potato masher, until smooth and without lumps.Add the butter and mix through until butter is fully incorporated. Set aside until needed.
For the cherries:
- Here it depends on what kind of cherries you are using, if you are using from the cherry compote (like I had this time), just drain the liquid and that's all you have to do.If you are using fresh or frozen (thawed) cherries, you need to wash them, remove the pits. Place the pitted cherries into a frying pan or a pot and start warming them up over low-medium heat, no oil or butter needed. Cherries will start producing juice, once that happens start adding sugar, one tablespoon at the time. Cook the cherries, until they are soft and juicy and sour sweet. This will take about 10 minutes. Once they are cooked, drain the juice (you can drink the juice :) if you want). Place in a bowl and set aside until needed.
Prepare the dough:
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sour milk and oil. Add the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Make a dough. Knead the dough for about 2-3 minutes, until smooth and elastic.Place back into the bowl, cover with a clean towel and allow to stand for about 15 minutes.
Start assembling the pastries:
- If you are making two types of pastries or more, split the dough accordingly.For the two types, split the dough in two. Split the first half in two again, roll one half into a sausage shape about 4 cm in diameter.
- Cut the sausage into 4-5 pieces, and dip each piece into some flour on the sticky sides.
- Roll out each piece into a circle, not too thin.
- Into the center of each circle, place about 1 tablespoon of mashed potato mix. Take the sides of the dough circle and press together with your fingers, to close the pastry.
- Place the ready pastries on a floured board and cover with a clean towel until ready for frying.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- To make the cherry filled pastries, same process for the dough, then place about a tablespoon worth of cherries in the middle of the circle and sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of sugar on top. Close the pastry same as for the potato filled ones.
- Heat up a large flat frying pan with about 100 ml of vegetable oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the prepared pastries with the stitching side down first. Fry for about 2-4 minutes each side, or until golden brown.If they turn golden brown faster than that or they start burning, lower the heat. Less cooking time, might result in under cooked dough.
- Serve warm or cold.Enjoy!
