These incredibly soft and juicy individual-sized meat pies are popular street food in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. Somewhat similar to Piroshki, they are made of leavened dough, have a pleated hole on top and are deep fried for the best pillowy texture and golden crust.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
300 g plain flour
175 ml slightly warm water
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling:
Mix in a bowl:
150 g beef mince
150 g pork mince
1 medium onion, finely chopped and fried until golden
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
To make the dough, in a large bowl mix together water, salt, sugar and yeast.
Add 1/2 of the flour and mix well until smooth. Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 1/2 flour and the oil.
Knead the dough until smooth, elastic and doesn't stick to your hands (if it's still too sticky, add 1 tbsp. flour).
Keep the dough in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubles in size.
To make the pies, on a clean surface divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape them into balls. Leave them to prove for 15 minutes. (note: Don't use any flour or oil to dust or grease the surface).
Roll each ball into a circle and place 1/12 of the filling in the middle of it, flattening it with a fork.
Wrap the dough around the meat, leaving a pleated hole on the top. Flatten the pie slightly with your fingers.
Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and place the pies open side down. Keep some space between the pies as they are going to puff while cooking.
Fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown (reduce the heat if you notice they are catching).
When the pies are ready, place them onto a paper towel to dry the excess oil, making sure open side is up so that the juices are not running out.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
