Quick Pan-Fried Hand Pies

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you pan-fry quick hand pies? Start with the dough. Pour room-temperature kefir and the vegetable oil into a deep bowl and crack in the egg. Always wash eggs before using them — even a seemingly clean shell can carry harmful bacteria; a food-safe wash and a brush work best. Add the sugar, salt, and baking powder (or a knife-tip of baking soda slaked with vinegar).

2. Step 2:

   

   Stir the ingredients together. Add the sifted flour — sifting is important to work air into it, so the dough turns out light and rises well as it fries. You may need a little more or less flour depending on its quality, but don't overload the dough, so add it in batches, kneading after each.

3. Step 3:

   

   Knead a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Put it in a bag and let it rest on the counter for half an hour. This lets the gluten in the flour relax, making the dough more manageable and elastic.

4. Step 4:

   

   Meanwhile, make the filling. Mine is meat — ground pork and beef. But any filling you like works: potato, cabbage, cabbage with mushrooms, rice with egg, or green onion with egg. Season the ground meat (store-bought or made from fresh meat) with salt and pepper to taste, add finely chopped onion, and pour in a little water for juiciness. Mix well.

5. Step 5:

   

   Turn the dough out onto a floured counter, roll it into a thick rope, and cut it into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a round (not too thin) and place a little meat filling in the center.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pinch the edges of the pie closed. You can shape it however you like — a triangle for variety, for instance.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour vegetable oil into a skillet and heat it well. Add the shaped pies, leaving a little space between them. Fry over medium heat for 3–4 minutes on one side.

8. Step 8:

   

   Then flip the pies and fry until golden on the second side. Cover the skillet and keep them on the heat for about 5 more minutes so the meat filling cooks through. Transfer the finished pies to a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil.

9. Step 9:

   

   Then move the pies to a serving plate and serve with tea or coffee. Enjoy!