Varenyky is a very popular Ukrainian everyday and ritual dish made of boiled dough with fillings known since ancient times. It is made with different fillings, like cabbage, poppy seeds, different berries, boiled meat, porridges and even fried flour.
The word “Pyrogy” 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 “pyro” under the influence of the word “pir'” (“feast”). The word “Varenyky” is from the word “varyty” (“to boil”)
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 was fresh cottage cheese mixed with dill, Varenyky with cheese and vegetables filling (steamed)
Varenyky usually were done on Sundays or different special days, such as weddings, memorial lunch, giving name ritual, childbirth, ritual holidays, harvest gathering. Varenyky have the moon shape and are very symbolic.
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”.
Varenyky with cheese
Ingredients:
- flour - 600 g
- Milk - 250 g
- egg - 5
- Butter - 100 g
- cottage cheese - 800 g
- salt - to taste
- dill - to taste
- green dill - to taste
- green onion - to taste
- green parsley - to taste
- sour cream - 100 g
Instructions:
1. Sift flour, add milk, 3 eggs, melted butter, salt and knead the elastic dough. Put it for 20 min. to stand, cover it with napkin to avoid drying.
2. For the filling take cheese, add 2 eggs, cut herbs, salt and mix thoroughly.
3.Roll out the dough thin of 1-2 mm, make with glass rounds, put the filling by a small spoon in the middle of the rounds and press the edges. Varenyk has the form of a crescent.
4. Varenyky are boiled in small portions (500 g.) in a big amount of hot salted water (3-4 tbsp.). 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, add butter, sour cream, parsley.
