[Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi] Polish dumplings with delicious meatless filling

It seems each country has a traditional dumpling dish either with or without filling. Out of all the national dumplings, the most popular dumplings with filling would be ravioli and tortellini from Italy, jiaozi (English: potstickers) from China, samosa from India, and pierogi from Poland. I like all of them! :)

You can see my dumpling recipes here:

 + Pittsburgh style pierogi with potato and cheese filling

+ Chinese potsticker

Pierogi is a very versatile food since you can make it with many different kinds of filling you want, from sweet to savory. I made sweet pierogi for the first time last summer. (I'll post blueberry pierogi soon.) As I got an easier way to make pierogi dough, I made quite a few times this year. Once you have pieorgi dough ready and handy, pierogi making becomes a piece of cake :) 


Out of all the pierogi, my favorite would be sauerkraut and mushroom filling, and with lots of sour cream. The chemistry(?) between sauerkraut and wild mushroom is something exceptional. And this sauerkraut & mushroom filling doesn't fill your stomach as much as potato filling or meat filling~ So, of course, you can eat a couple more pierogi, only if you want. :)  Pierogi is popular both in Canada and the States due to, or rather thanks to the immigrants from East Europe. You can easily find mass-marketed pierogi at frozen food section of supermarkets as well. But, of course, frozen dumpling can't beat freshly made pierogi. I got this recipe from Iwona, an ex-colleague whose mother made wonderful pierogi.

Here goes the recipe for Saerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi

(dough recipe: adapted from tastingPoland)

Ingredients

For dough

3 cups of the all-purpose flour

1 cup of (almost) boiling water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil

For filling

10 oz (or 300g) mushroom of your choice

2 cups sauerkraut

1/2 - 1 onion

4 tablespoons of butter

salt

1 cupSour cream

Directions

1. Saute chopped anion in 1 tablespoon butter. Put aside.

2. Chop and saute mushroom in 1 tablespoon butter.

3. Drain, chop, and saute the sauerkraut in 2 tablespoons of butter.

4. Add sauteed mushroom and onion and mix well.

5. Let it cool down.

6. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add flour and salt. 



Pulse few times and then start adding water very slowly, watching the dough. 

7. When the dough forms a shape of a big ball in the food processor you don't need any more water. Dough should be soft and easy to work with.

8. Let the food processor process the dough for another minute.

9. Roll out workable portions of dough thin on a floured surface.

10. Using a glass with a thin lip, and cut circles out of the dough. (size may be between 3+1/2" and 4")


11. Place about 1 tablespoon  filling in the center of each dough circle.


12. Seal edges by pinching with fingers and then, pressing with the back of a fork.
13. Bring heavily salted water to a boil.



14. Cook pierogi in boiling water, stirring occasionally if necessary, until pierogi float to the surface (about 5 minutes).


15. Pan fry them in butter, over medium heat, until lightly browned.

Serve with sour cream!

Hope you like it as much as our family does. More pierogi recipes will follow. :)

Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi