Vareniki with potato and fried onion

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make vareniki with potato and fried onion? Start with the filling. Gather your ingredients. Wash the potatoes well. You'll need 3 to 4 onions.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel and wash the potatoes, cut them into three or four pieces, and put them in a pot. Cover with water and set on the heat to cook. When the potatoes come to a boil, turn down the heat and add salt. You can also add a bay leaf and 3 or 4 allspice berries, but that's optional.

3. Step 3:

   

   While the potatoes cook, make the onion saute. Peel the onion and rinse it in cold water. Cut it into medium cubes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pour refined vegetable oil into a skillet and heat it. Saute the onion over medium heat until golden. Stir now and then, or it will scorch.

5. Step 5:

   

   When the potatoes are done and a fork or knife slides in easily, drain the water. Add the butter, warm milk, and sauteed onion. Mash the potatoes into a smooth puree with a masher. The filling is ready. Leave it to cool while you make the vareniki dough.

6. Step 6:

   

   How do you make the dough for vareniki? Gather the listed ingredients. Use good-quality wheat flour. Be sure to sift it to aerate it. Take the egg out of the fridge ahead of time so it warms to room temperature.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour the flour into a wide, deep bowl where it'll be easy to knead. Separately, crack the egg into a container, pour in the room-temperature boiled water and a tablespoon of refined vegetable oil. I used olive oil, but you can use sunflower. Whisk the liquid together with a whisk or fork until smooth and pour it into the flour.

8. Step 8:

   

   Knead the dough. Since everyone's flour is different, you may need more or less than the recipe says — go by the consistency of the dough. It should be quite stiff and not stick to your hands. Cover the dough with a towel and leave it for 40 minutes.

9. Step 9:

   

   Roll out part of the dough into a round about 3 mm thick. The thinner the dough, the tastier the vareniki. Cut out circles with a cutter. Put about a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle and seal the vareniki shut. If you like, you can crimp a braided edge like this. Important! Make sure no filling or fat gets on the edges of the dough, or the vareniki will come apart.

10. Step 10:

    

    Cook them in a large pot so the vareniki can float freely and won't stick together. Pour in water (about 3 liters) and set it on the heat. When the water boils, add salt (0.5 tablespoon). Stir the water with a spoon to create a swirl, turning counterclockwise. Drop in the vareniki (15 at a time). Once they come back to a boil, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes. The thicker the dough, the longer they'll take.

11. Step 11:

    

    While the vareniki cook, get the serving ingredients ready. Take 3 medium onions, refined vegetable oil, and good-quality butter.

12. Step 12:

    

    Peel the onions, rinse them in cold water, and cut them into thin rings. If the onion is large, cut it into half rings. Pour vegetable oil into a skillet, heat it, add the onion, and saute until golden.

13. Step 13:

    

    Lift the cooked vareniki out with a slotted spoon into a colander to drain the excess liquid. Then transfer them to a bowl, add the butter and fried onion, and shake them well with the lid on so they mix evenly with the butter and onions.