A Taste of Home: Ukrainian Pierogis
Simple potato pierogis really hit the spot and bring back childhood memories. Photo: Ilana Verhalyuk
By ILANA VERHALYUK
Have you ever eaten something that filled you with nostalgia for your childhood? That’s exactly how I feel whenever I eat pierogis. They’re dumplings filled with almost anything you’d like, but mostly potatoes. Pierogis are especially popular in Ukraine but they’re also eaten in other European countries. They have a special cultural value in my family, since my parents and I all ate it throughout our childhoods. The recipe I decided to try was created by my mother.
Before actually making the pierogis, you have to make the dough and filling. Starting off with the dough, you need 560 grams of flour, three tablespoons of oil, 1 egg, 125 ml of milk and water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. After mixing everything together, knead the dough and let it stand for about 30 minutes.
The type of fillings you use typically depends on what region of Ukraine you’re in. My father grew up in western Ukraine, specifically Lviv. He said that it’s their tradition to make pierogis every Sunday and eat them during lunch. “I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day if I could,” he said. My mother grew up in Kyiv, a large city in eastern Ukraine. In her region, people fill them with cabbage, cherries, cheese, mushrooms, buckwheat, meat, and lots of other options. You can also top them with sour cream, mushroom gravy, or just plain butter.
After making the dough, you have to make the filling, with 2½-3 lbs of potatoes, 4-6 small onions, and butter. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes, and chop the onions. While the potatoes boil, sauté the onions in an oil/butter mixture. Once the potatoes have boiled, mash them and add half of the sautéed onions, then mix it together. You should also add salt and pepper; the amount depends on your taste.
Be gentle with the dough. Photo: Ilana Verhalyuk
When making pierogis, you have to be very careful and gentle with the dough. First you place it on a cooking mat and roll it out with a rolling pin. After it’s thin and spread out evenly, use a circular cookie cutter and cut out medium sized pieces. Try to widen out the dough by pressing on the edges and turning it at the same time. Then take a teaspoon or two of mashed potato mix and place it in the center of the circle. Fold it in half and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat this until you have no more dough.
Boil water with two tablespoons of salt and place the pierogis in it for about 10-15 minutes. (This is how my family does it; if you want them “al dente” you could instead boil the pierogis just 3-5 minutes and then pan fry them until light brown afterward.) Once you take them out of the water, sprinkle them with the rest of the sautéed onions.
Pinch those edges tight. Photo: Ilana Verhalyuk
As a child, I used to help my mother make pierogis whenever she would cook. It’s one of my core memories. Every time I would see her in the kitchen making them, I would immediately rush to help her. We would make them for any occasion, like New Year’s, Old Christmas (which is celebrated January 7), and more. While I was making them today, I still slightly struggled with the same steps as I did when I was younger. The dough would slip out of my hand or I would accidentally end up ripping it. It was slightly frustrating! I was never one to be too fond of cooking, but I still had fun being taught.
I recommend this recipe to anyone because it's so flavorful. When you bite into a pierogi, the mixture of the dough and potato tastes amazing. You can taste every type of spice that was used in it, and it makes your mouth water. I recommend adding to the flavor by eating it with sour cream. You can almost taste the nostalgia!
Dough
Flour - 560 grams
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Egg - 1
Milk - 125 ml
Water - 125 ml
Salt - 1 teaspoon
(Knead the dough and let it stand for 30 min.)
Filling
Potatoes - 2 ½ to 3 lbs
4 to 6 small onions
oil and butter
Steps
Boil potatoes in salted water for about 20 min
Chop onions and sauté in oil/butter mixture
Mash the potatoes and add ½ of the sautéed onions
Mix and add salt and pepper to taste
Take a piece of dough and roll it out into a circle
Cut out medium circles
Take 1-2 teaspoons of potato mix and place it in the center of the circle
Fold the circle in half and pinch the edges to seal
Boil a pot of water (add about 2 tablespoons of salt)
Boil pierogis for 10-15 minutes
Sprinkle with sautéed onions