Braised Cabbage Piroshki Recipe (video)

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.

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.