Vareniky with Cabbage and Ground Meat

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make vareniky with cabbage and ground meat? First, gather your ingredients and spices. Use any ground meat you like.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take a deep bowl and pour in 250 ml (about 1 cup) of boiling water, then add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, and stir.

3. Step 3:

   

   Sift 450 g of all-purpose flour through a fine sieve and add most of it to the bowl. Keep in mind you may need a little more or less flour than I do — go by the consistency of the dough.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stir everything together in the bowl and start kneading the dough.

5. Step 5:

   

   As you knead, crack in one egg.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the remaining flour to the bowl and keep kneading.

7. Step 7:

   

   Knead the dough by hand until smooth, about five minutes.

8. Step 8:

   

   Gather the smooth dough into a ball and put it in a plastic bag for thirty minutes.

9. Step 9:

   

   For the filling, heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet, then add 300 g of ground meat.

10. Step 10:

    

    Turn the heat to high and fry the ground meat, stirring.

11. Step 11:

    

    Finely dice one onion and add it to the skillet, then stir it in well with the meat and keep frying over high heat.

12. Step 12:

    

    Thinly shred about 250 g of green cabbage, add it to the skillet, stir everything together, and continue frying for four to five minutes.

13. Step 13:

    

    Add salt, ground nutmeg, coriander, dried herbs, and a blend of red and black pepper to taste, and stir everything together well.

14. Step 14:

    

    Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and cook the filling for another five minutes until done, then transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.

15. Step 15:

    

    After thirty minutes, lightly flour your work surface, turn out the dough, and divide it into two pieces.

16. Step 16:

    

    Roll out each piece into a thin sheet about 1/16 inch (1.5–2 mm) thick.

17. Step 17:

    

    Use a round cutter of a suitable size to cut out dough rounds for the vareniky.

18. Step 18:

    

    Place one full teaspoon of filling on each round.

19. Step 19:

    

    Pinch the edges firmly to seal the filling inside, and set the formed vareniky on a floured surface.

20. Step 20:

    

    To cook them, bring a pot of water to a boil, then add a bay leaf, salt to taste, and as many vareniky as you need.

21. Step 21:

    

    Stir occasionally and, once they float to the top, cook for about two to three minutes more until done.

22. Step 22:

    

    Serve the cooked vareniky in bowls with butter or sour cream, however you like. Enjoy!