Moldovan Plăcinte with Cottage Cheese

Made from everyday ingredients, budget-friendly, and simply the best! Plăcinte are a Moldovan classic — thin dough pockets stuffed with filling and pan-fried until golden. Make a batch ahead of time to serve for breakfast or dinner, or pack them along as a snack for work or a day out.

Maria

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Flour

350

Water

200

Vegetable oil

Table vinegar

Salt

0.5

Cottage cheese

400

Eggs

Parsley (3-4 sprigs)

Dill (3-4 sprigs)

Ground black pepper

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 28 % 11 g

Fats 23 % 9 g

Carbohydrates 50 % 20 g

206 kcal

GI: 0 / 0 / 100

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make Moldovan plăcinte with cottage cheese? Start by gathering your ingredients — first for the dough. Use a refined, odorless oil. The vinegar should be plain white vinegar (about 5% acidity). Sift the flour first: it removes any bits and aerates the flour, giving you lighter, fluffier pastry.
Step 2:

How do you make the dough? In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, vegetable oil, salt, and vinegar. Whisk everything together.
Step 3:

Add the sifted flour to the liquid. Knead into a smooth, uniform, non-sticky dough. Keep in mind you may need a little more or less flour than called for — go by the feel of the dough, not the exact amount.
Step 4:

Gather the dough into a ball, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes. This lets the flour fully absorb the liquid and the gluten develop, which makes the dough elastic and easier to work with.
Step 5:

Next, make the filling. Gather those ingredients. Choose a cottage cheese that's moist rather than dry or crumbly; any fat percentage works — I use 5%. Use whatever fresh herbs you like — I go with parsley and dill. Same with the seasonings: add your favorites.
Step 6:

How do you make the filling? Hard-boil the eggs. Here's how: to keep them from cracking, put them in cold water and bring to a boil over low heat. Boil for 9 minutes once the water comes to a boil, then plunge them into cold water to cool — the sudden temperature change makes them easier to peel. Peel the eggs and chop them finely, or grate them on the large holes of a box grater.
Step 7:

Wash the herbs, pat them dry, and chop them finely.
Step 8:

In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 9:

Mix everything together well. The filling is ready.
Step 10:

By now the dough has rested. Divide it into 4 pieces.
Step 11:

Roll each piece out into a circle as thin as you can. The dough is very pliable, but keep your work surface and rolling pin well dusted with flour, or it will stick and tear. Before it's filled, a tear is no big deal — just re-roll it — but once the filling is in, you'll have to patch any holes.
Step 12:

Spread the filling in a thin, even layer over the center of the rolled-out dough. Fold the edges in to form a square envelope and pinch the seams tightly shut. Press the packet flat with your hands so the edges seal well and the filling spreads evenly inside.
Step 13:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the plăcinte until golden on both sides — lay them seam side down first, then flip.
Step 14:

And there you have them — hearty, juicy, golden plăcinte. Enjoy!

Plăcinte are made very often in Moldova, using stretched, yeast, or puff dough. My version uses a stretched dough with vinegar. The fillings vary widely — sweet ones (pumpkin and sugar, pumpkin and apple, cottage cheese and raisins) and savory ones (cottage cheese with herbs and egg, potato, cabbage, ground meat). Highly recommended.
To steer clear of mistakes when working with flour, it helps to read up on flour and its properties.
Fry with an oil that has a high smoke point! Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds. Unrefined oils, with few exceptions, have a low smoke point; they're full of unfiltered particles that scorch quickly. Refined oils stand up to heat better and have a higher smoke point. When cooking in the oven, in a skillet, or on the grill, use a high-smoke-point oil. The most common ones are refined sunflower, olive, and grapeseed oil.
For cooking, it's best to use filtered or bottled water with a neutral taste. Tap water can lend the dish an off, characteristic flavor.