Start to finish: Active: 30 minutes | Inactive: 1 hour
Impresses: 4 for dinner, 8 for appetizers
Ingredients
For the pierogi dough:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3 tablespoons whole milk
3 large eggs, room temperature
For the filling:
¾ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons whole milk
5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 generous pinch red pepper flakes
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup white onion, diced
½ cup paneer, chopped
For the pierogi:
4 tablespoons salted butter
Cilantro and mint sour cream, recipe follows
Method
For the pierogi dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour and salt by pulsing the mixer on and off a few times. Add butter, milk and eggs, and mix dough on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Dough will be tacky. Remove from bowl, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. While the dough chills, prepare the filling.
For the filling:
Boil potatoes in heavily salted water until fork tender. Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Add milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Roughly mash potatoes, tasting and seasoning with additional salt as needed, before setting aside. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add fennel seeds, curry powder, coriander, cumin and paprika. Stir to coat and cook until spices are warm and fragrant. (This is called “blooming” the spices.) Stir in frozen peas and onion, and cook until peas are warmed through. Add pea and onion mixture to the mashed potatoes, as well as the paneer. Mix everything until well combined. Set aside until ready to use (mixture can also be made a day in advance).
For the pierogi:
Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Place chilled dough on work surface and sprinkle the top with flour, as well as a rolling pin. Roll dough out to slightly less than ¼ inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 24 rounds (dough can be re-rolled to get enough circles). Add a generous tablespoon of filling to the center of each dough round. Dip a finger in water and run along the edge of the pierogi. Fold the pierogi in half over the filling, pinching the edges closed tightly to seal. It should look like a little half-moon. Place on a piece of parchment paper and repeat the filling, folding and sealing process with remaining pierogi. When ready to cook, add 1 tablespoon butter to a nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Fry the pierogi, 6 at a time, until golden brown on each side. Add an additional tablespoon butter after each batch. Serve warm pierogi with butter drippings from pan and cilantro and mint sour cream.
For the cilantro and mint sour cream:
Combine 1 cup fresh cilantro, 8 mint leaves, the juice of ½ lemon and ½ cup sour cream in a food processor until smooth. Stir in an additional ¼ cup sour cream to thicken.
Notes: Pierogi can be formed and not fried up to a day in advance. To freeze uncooked pierogi, place pierogi in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 12 hours, or overnight, before transferring to a zip-close bag. Pierogi can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook frozen pierogi, fry according to directions above, adding ¼ cup water to the skillet and covering with a lid for 3 minutes so pierogis can cook in the steam.
