Welcome to a taste of pure comfort! Vareniki, beloved dumplings from Eastern Europe, are the ultimate soul food, and this recipe for Vareniki with Potatoes is a treasured classic passed down from my grandmother. Imagine tender, soft dough wrapped around a creamy, savory filling of mashed potatoes and sweet sautéed onions. Making them is a heartwarming process that brings the family together, and eating them is even better. This dish is more than just a meal; it's a hug in a bowl, perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Grandma's vareniki with potatoes recipe
For the dough
- 50 ml milk
- 75 ml water
- 1 egg
- 20 ml olive oil
- 250 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- salt
For the filling
- 300 g potatoes
- 100 g onion
- 30 g green onions
- 15 g butter
- 50 g mayonnaise
- salt, pepper
- smetana (a type of Eastern European sour cream) and mustard for serving
How to Make Grandma's Vareniki with Potatoes
First, let’s make the dough. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt. Combine the warm water, milk, and olive oil, then add the whisked egg. Gradually add the wheat flour, kneading the dough first in the bowl, then on a floured board. Knead the dough for the vareniki with potatoes for a few minutes until it no longer sticks to your hands. Cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Making the dough
Flour your board. Take a piece of dough weighing about 100g and roll it into a log. Do the same with the remaining dough; you should end up with 4-5 logs.
Divide the dough and roll it into logs
Cut a piece weighing about 10 grams from a log and roll it out with a rolling pin to form a very thin circle. Don’t worry about making them perfectly round—this is homemade food, so small imperfections are part of the charm. The most important thing is that it’s delicious!
Rolling the dough into circles
For the filling, peel the potatoes, cut them into thick slices, cover with boiling water, and cook until tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes into a puree.
Finely chop the onion and sauté it in butter until translucent. A minute before it’s done, add the green onions and a sprinkle of salt. Add the sautéed onions to the mashed potatoes.
Add the mayonnaise, mix well, taste, and salt as needed.
Boil the potatoes and mash them
Sauté the onion, add green onions and salt a minute before it's done. Add to the mashed potatoes
Add mayonnaise, mix, and salt to taste
Place a teaspoon of the potato filling onto a dough circle. The filling can be slightly warm, but not hot!
Place a teaspoon of potato filling on a circle of dough
Pinch the edges of the varenik together firmly. If you pinch the edge of the dough between your thumb and index finger and gently press the seam with your middle finger, you’ll create a decorative edge. Place the finished vareniki with potatoes on a floured board in a single layer. At this stage, you can freeze any extras.
Seal the edges of the varenik
Bring 2 liters of water to a boil and add salt. Drop the vareniki into the boiling water in small batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes after they float to the surface. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon.
Drop the vareniki into boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes after they float
Serve the vareniki with potatoes hot. Before serving, drizzle with smetana (a type of Eastern European sour cream) mixed with Dijon mustard and salt, and sprinkle with curly parsley or finely chopped green onions.
The vareniki with potatoes are ready
And there you have it—a plate full of delicious, homemade vareniki, made with love, just like grandma used to make. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and the comforting flavors that transport you to a happy place. Serve them hot, generously topped with smetana, a dollop of butter, or even some crispy fried onions for extra texture. Don't forget that vareniki freeze wonderfully, so you can always have a quick and satisfying meal on hand. Enjoy this taste of tradition!
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