Varenyky, Ukrainian Dumplings with filling are famous all over the world and known since ancient times. In traditional Ukrainian cuisine Varenyky was one of the most popular dish in Kyiv Rus. Varenyky filled with stewed sauerkraut is a very tasty light vegetable dish known all over the world.
The word “Pyrogy” (Pierogy, Pierogi) is the ancient Slavonic word “pirog'” that is – formed from the word “pir'” (“feast”) with the suffix -og’ or from the word “руго” (“wheat”), the ancient slavic word under the influence of the word “pir'” (“feast”). The word “Varenyky” is from the word “varyty” (“to boil”).
Pyrogy (Pyrohy) or Varenyky is one of the 12 sacred dishes on traditional Christmas dinner that were formed in 8-9 centuries before the adoption of Christianity and were then inherited in Medieval Ukrainian cuisine.
Ukrainian traditional ethnic dish Varenyky can be with different fillings, vegetables, meat, cheese, berries, poppy seeds. There was no potato in Ukraine until it was brought from South America in XVI century, so varenyky with potato filling are not the ancient variant of dish. One of the most popular fillings of Ukrainian dumplings in was fresh cottage cheese and dill. See also traditional Ukrainian recipes from the the cooking blog of ethnic Slavic cuisine Etnocook: Varenyky (Pyrohy), Varenyky with cheese and vegetables filling (steamed).
The dough for Varenyky can be made of different types of flour. The whole-wheat flour contains all of the grain (bran, germ, and endosperm), it contains vitamins, minerals (selenium), protein, calcium, iron, fiber. Whole-grain wheat flour is very nutritious and mixed with the white flower makes a perfect dough for Varenyky.
Varenyky is so important Ukrainian dish that there are monuments to them in Ukraine and all over the world in other places where Ukrainian lives.
In Ukraine was a tradition that the first dish in ancient times that mother ate after childbirth was Varenyky and people who cooked them wished her to have a lot of children and said “Be always full like varenyk”.
Pyrohy with sour cabbage
- a dough can need additional flour or water until it is elastic and doesn't stick to hands
- grinded carrots can be used with onions for filling and for serving
- green onions can be used to taste with dill and parsley
Ingredients of the Ukrainian Varenyky with sauerkraut filling
- Dough
- whole-wheat flour - 250 g (wholemeal flour)
- white wheat flour - 250 g
- water - 200 ml
- vegetable oil (sunflower oil) - 20 ml
- salt - ~ 3 g, to taste
- sugar - ~ 2 g, to taste
- Filling
- sauerkraut - 500 g
- onion - 20 g
- vegetable oil (sunflower oil) - 50 ml
- green dill - 10 g
- salt - to taste
- Cooking
- water - 3 l
- salt - to taste
- bay leaf - 1, to taste
- Serving
- vegetable oil (sunflower oil) - 50 ml
- onion - 20 g
- green dill - ~20 g, to taste
- green parsley - ~20 g, to taste
- butter - ~50 g, to taste
- sour cream - ~50 g, to taste
Instructions:
1. Prepare all ingredients for the recipe of Ukrainian dumplings with sauerkraut filling
2. Prepare liquid for the dough
3. How to make the dough for dumplings (Ukrainian Varenyky)
4. Onions for filling
5. Cook the filling for Ukrainian traditional dumplings with sour cabbage
6. Dough for wrappers without using special forms
7. Put the filling in homemade dumpling wrappers (handmade)
8. Cook and serve Ukrainian ethnic dumplings
Varenyky are boiled in small portions (10-15 dumplings) in a big amount of hot salted water (3-4 tbsp. of salt for 3 l of water). When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, put varenyky, boil for 1-2 minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon into a deep bowl.
Serve Ukrainian Varenyky warm, add onion fried with oil until golden brown, to taste butter, sour cream, dill, parsley. Ukrainian Varenyky taste very good with Mushroom gravy and Chicken hearts stewed in sour cream sauce
