Braised Cabbage Piroshki Recipe (video)

inside of braised cabbage piroshki - russian hand pies

Piroshki are the ultimate Eastern European and Russian street food! These are little hand-pies made with fluffy easy dough and filled with either sweet or savory fillings. My grandmother’s braised cabbage piroshki are one of my favorites and they even made it to my new cookbook, Beyond Borscht! These vegetable piroshki are filled with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, onion and bell pepper. You can even add diced kielbasa for more flavor. Also, check out my ‘Beef & Cheese Piroshki’! This Russian recipe is bound to become a favorite!

My Cabbage Piroshki Video Tutorial

This is my FIRST EVER YouTube video from 2012!! Make sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial for step-by-step instructions for making cabbage piroshki! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!

Ingredients for Cabbage Piroshki

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make these easy and delicious Russian snacks:

  • Dry Active Yeast: for making the yeast dough. You can also use instant yeast, the proofing time will be shorter.
  • All-Purpose Flour: for making the yeast dough. Have some extra flour on the side for rolling and shaping the dough.
  • Milk, Butter, Egg: for the dough. I recommend using whole milk for a richer tasting dough.
  • Cabbage: use regular green cabbage for best results. The firm texture will cook down nicely and create a delicious filling.
  • Carrots, Onion, Garlic: for the braised cabbage filling.
  • Bell Pepper: adding a little bit of sweet red bell pepper adds tons of great flavor to the filling.
  • Mushrooms: I love having mushrooms in this recipe but if you don’t like them, just omit them from the filling.
  • Canola Oil: for deep frying the piroshki (my favorite way to prepare these!).

How to Make Braised Cabbage Piroshki

Making these piroshki takes a little bit of time and patience but you will be well rewarded for your efforts! These cabbage piroshki are so delicious! Here’s how to make them.

  1. Start with the dough! Warm the milk in the microwave or on stove top until it’s lukewarm to touch. Pour it into a large bowl and whisk in sugar and yeast and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in the salt, egg, and oil until smooth. Gradually start adding in the flour, 1 cup at a time, forming a very soft but not sticking dough.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead it for several minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Place the dough into large, oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Let the dough proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. The filling needs to cool until it’s just lukewarm. Heat a large frying pan or Dutch oven with several tablespoons of canola oil to medium heat. Add in the carrots and onion and sauté the mixture until it’s golden brown. Add in the bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and continue cooking the mixture for another 5 minutes.
  4. Next, add in the cabbage, salt, pepper and seasonings and toss everything together. You want a nice, uniform mixture. Cover your pan with a lid and braise the cabbage over medium/low heat for 18 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Remove it from the heat and let the filling cool before using it.
deep fried braised cabbage piroshki recipe

Shaping the Piroshki

Once you have the dough and the filling ready, it’s time to assemble the piroshki! Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Punch down the proofed dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a knife, divide into 16 even pieces. Keep the pieces covered with a tea towel so the dough doesn’t dry out.
  2. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Place approximately 1/2 cup of the braised cabbage filling into the center of prepared dough. Bring the dough together in the middle first, pinching it firmly, then work your way down both sides, sealing the filling inside.
  3. Try not to get any filling on the edges! This will prevent the dough from sealing properly and will cause the piroshki to open when they’re frying/baking.

Baked or Fried Piroshki

Piroshki can be deep-fried or baked in the oven. Both methods of preparation work great!

  • For deep frying, heat a medium sized pot with 6 to 8 cups of vegetable or canola oil to 350F/177C. When deep frying, DO NOT allow the cabbage piroshki to proof. Shape them and fry them right away in batches of 3 or 4, turning every minute, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oil onto a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
  • If baking, place the piroshki seam-side-up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash, then allow the piroshki to proof for 30 minutes. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
cover of Beyond Borscht cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk

Beyond Borscht Cookbook

This delicious Eastern European recipe made it into my newly released cookbook, Beyond Borscht! This unique cookbook has 75 traditional Eastern European recipes for everyday cooking! Appetizers, soups, salads, main entrees, side dishes and of course dessert! Pick up a copy at your local bookstore, Target, Walmart or online on Amazon. https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/beyond-borscht/

Share it on Pinterest! 

Braised Cabbage Piroshki video recipe

More Recipes!

Enjoyed this delicious piroshki recipe? Check out some more of my Eastern European recipes you’re sure to enjoy!

  • Beef & Cheese Piroshki – these are filled with the most delicious ground beef and cheesy filling! My favorite!
  • Bacon & Cheese Potato Piroshki – cheesy, creamy and delicious potato piroshki with bacon bits, onion and dill. Great deep-fried or baked!
  • Cheesy Egg & Cheese Piroshki – these are great baked or fried! Fluffy yeast dough filled with creamy, melty cheese, eggs, and fresh herbs!
  • Braised Cabbage with Sausage – easy, one-pan braised cabbage with zucchini, peppers, smoky sausage and more! Perfect for busy weekdays!
  • Classic Beef Borscht – the best beet and beef soup, with loads of veggies! This is a traditional dish in Ukraine!
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inside of braised cabbage piroshki - russian hand pies
5 from 3 votes

Braised Cabbage Piroshki Recipe (video)

1 hour prep + 20 minutes cook + 1 hour Proofing Time:
16 servings
Learn how to make the best Russian piroshki, or hand pies, filled with a braised cabbage, pepper and mushroom filling!

Ingredients 

For Dough:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon dry active yeast
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, corrected

For Filling:

  • 1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded
  • 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 5 to 7 white mushrooms, diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 teaspoon each: salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 6 – 8 cups canola or vegetable oil, if frying

Instructions

For the Yeast Dough:

  • Start with the dough! Warm the milk in the microwave or on stove top until it's lukewarm to touch. Pour it into a large bowl and whisk in sugar and yeast and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in the salt, egg, and oil until smooth. Gradually start adding in the flour, 1 cup at a time, forming a very soft but not sticking dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead it for several minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Place the dough into large, oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Let the dough proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

For The Filling:

  • Meanwhile, prepare the filling. The filling needs to cool until it's just lukewarm. Heat a large frying pan or Dutch oven with several tablespoons of canola oil to medium heat. Add in the carrots and onion and sauté the mixture until it's golden brown. Add in the bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and continue cooking the mixture for another 5 minutes.
  • Next, add in the cabbage, salt, pepper and seasonings and toss everything together. You want a nice, uniform mixture. Cover your pan with a lid and braise the cabbage over medium/low heat for 18 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Remove it from the heat and let the filling cool before using it.

Shaping the Piroshki:

  • Punch down the proofed dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a knife, divide into 16 even pieces. Keep the pieces covered with a tea towel so the dough doesn't dry out.
  • Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Place approximately 1/2 cup of the braised cabbage filling into the center of prepared dough. Bring the dough together in the middle first, pinching it firmly, then work your way down both sides, sealing the filling inside.
  • Try not to get any filling on the edges! This will prevent the dough from sealing properly and will cause the piroshki to open when they're frying/baking.

Frying Instructions:

  • Pour 6 to 8 cups of vegetable or canola oil into a large pot and heat the oil to 350F/177C. When deep frying, DO NOT allow the cabbage piroshki to proof. Shape them and fry them right away in batches of 3 or 4, turning every minute, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oil onto a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.

Baking Instructions:

  • lace the piroshki seam-side-up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash, then allow the piroshki to proof for 30 minutes. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1770IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg