Vareniki
Russian and Ukrainian boiled dumplings, half-moon shaped, filled with mashed potato and caramelised onion. Boiled briefly, then tossed with melted butter and crispy fried onions. Sour cream and dill at the table; a meal in themselves.
Overview
A simple egg-and-water dough rolls thin and cuts into circles. The filling is mashed potato folded through with deeply browned onions. Each round folds over a spoonful of filling, sealed and crimped. Boiled in batches; served drowned in butter, with extra fried onions on top and sour cream alongside.
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 egg (large)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 ml warm water
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Filling
- 700 g floury potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 2 onions (large, finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more for the potatoes)
- Black pepper
To serve
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 onion (large, sliced; for fried onions)
- 200 g soured cream
- A small bunch of dill (chopped)
Method
Stage 1 - Dough
- Whisk the egg, salt and warm water; pour into a well in the flour with the oil.
- Mix to a shaggy dough; knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Stage 2 - Filling
- Boil the potatoes in salted water 12-15 minutes until tender; drain and mash; cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, cook the chopped onions in the oil over medium-low heat 15 minutes until deeply golden and sweet.
- Mix the onions, butter, salt and black pepper into the mash. Cool fully.
Stage 3 - Shape
- Divide the dough in half; keep one half covered.
- Roll the other half on a floured surface to about 2 mm thick.
- Cut out 8 cm circles with a cookie cutter or glass.
- Place a teaspoon of filling on each circle; fold over to a half-moon; pinch the edges firmly to seal. Crimp if you like.
- Lay finished vareniki on a floured tea towel; don't let them touch.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Stage 4 - Fried onions
- Cook the sliced onion in 50 g of butter over medium heat 12-15 minutes until deep golden and crisp at the edges. Set aside.
Stage 5 - Boil
- Bring a wide pan of salted water to a steady boil.
- Drop in vareniki in batches of 8-10. They sink, then float - cook 2-3 minutes from when they float.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon; toss with some of the fried onion butter to stop sticking.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Pile onto plates; spoon over fried onions and butter.
- Serve with a generous dollop of soured cream and a shower of dill.
Notes
- Seal properly: Vareniki that pop open in the water release filling and turn the broth murky. Press hard, dampen the edges with water if dry, double-check.
- Mash texture: Smooth, not gluey. A potato ricer or hand masher; never a food processor.
- Make-ahead: Shape the vareniki and freeze on a floured tray; once frozen, transfer to a bag. Boil from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the cook time.
Storage
- Cooked vareniki refrigerate 2 days; reheat in a buttered pan to crisp the bottoms.
- Frozen raw vareniki keep 3 months.
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