Varenyky (pronounced vah-rEH-nee-key) are large stuffed dumplings from the Ukraine. While they can be made with a variety of fillings – similar to ravioli, for example – my favourite is a filling of beef mince, potato and onion, which my Nan used to make for us growing up.
Varenyky are boiled like a regular dumpling, then tossed through butter to serve. We always had them on their own, but you could easily serve them with a side salad or vegetables. Please try making them – they’re quite straightforward. I’d love to know what you think.
You might also like pirozhki, which are created with the same filling but the dough is made using self-raising flour instead of plain flour, and they are fried in a frying pan. In our family growing up, we always debated which one was our favourite between the two!
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Varenyky are traditionally served hot with a generous dollop of sour cream (smetana), melted butter, and savoury toppings such as fried onions, bacon bits, or shkvarky (fried pork fat/lardons). They are often garnished with fresh herbs, including dill and flat-leaf parsley, and they’re sometimes paired with sauerkraut or mushrooms for added flavour. Kids might like a squirt of tomato sauce with them!
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Ingredients
20 g 1 oz butter
1 tbs 3 tsp vegetable oil
2 2 brown onions, finely chopped
750 g 1 2/3 lb beef mince
1 tbs 3 tsp chicken stock powder
750 g 1 2/3 lb (about 5) potatoes (such as Coliban or Sebago), chopped
80 g 3 oz butter, extra, chopped
- Dough
375 ml 1 3/5 cup water
1 1 egg
750 g 1 2/3 lb plain flour
Pinch of table salt
Plain flour, extra, to dust
Method
- Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef and chicken stock to the pan. Cook, stirring and breaking up mince with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from the heat.
- Meanwhile, place potato in a large saucepan of water and bring to the boil over medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender when tested with a knife. Drain, then mash.
- Add potato to the beef and onion mixture and stir until well combined. Cool completely.
- To make the dough, whisk the water and egg in a jug. Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add egg mixture to the well, along with the salt. Stir until combined and mixture comes together.
- Turn out dough onto a clean benchtop dusted with flour. Bring dough together and knead, adding a little extra flour if too sticky, until silky smooth and soft.
- Half the dough and roll each portion into a 4cm-diameter log. Cut 1 log into 1.5cm slices. Use a rolling pin to roll each slice into circles about 10cm in diameter. Repeat with remaining dough log.
- One at a time, fill the centre of a dough circle with about 1 1/2 tbs filling. Picking up the dough circle, fold the dough in half over the filling and pinch the edges together using your thumb and index finger to seal tightly. Scallop the curved edge by turning over a little dough at every 1cm. Place varenyky on a lined and lightly floured tray side by side without touching (or they’ll stick together).
- To cook the varenyky, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Scatter chopped butter over the base of a large roasting pan. In batches, add the varenyky to the boiling water and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough is cooked, the filling is warmed through and the varenyky have risen to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to transfer varenyky to the roasting pan and toss in the butter to prevent them sticking together. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make the beef and potato mixture up to 2 days before completing the varenyky. Keep covered in the fridge.
- Cooked varenyky can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, to serve. Ensure the varenyky are coated in butter so that they don’t stick together.
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