Mareena's Recipe Collections

Pirozhki, in Russian, means individual-sized baked or fried buns stuffed with a variety of fillings. Initially when I came across this name, I was really intrigued by the name itself. Only when I googled it did I realise that it meant Stuffed Buns. The dough was prepared following the recipe from Rahile’s Recipes. However, I gave my own twist to the filling.
I was pretty anxious and kept my fingers crossed till the buns were out of the oven. Even though it seemed fine out of the oven, I couldn’t uncross my fingers till my boys took their bites. When their faces lit, I gave a sigh of relief. The buns were soft, had a nice filling and were a wholesome snack. Well, after having them, our stomachs were so full that we didn’t require Dinner. Thats a happy ending for the day isn’t it ?

Pirozhki or Stuffed Buns
Source: Rahile’s Recipes

Ingredients

For the Dough

Flour- 3 cups
Dry yeast- 1-1/2 teaspoons
Salt- 1-1/2 teaspoons
Sugar- 2 tablespoons
Lukewarm water- 1/2 cup
Eggs- 2 (1 egg + 1 egg white. Keep the yolk for egg wash)
Lukewarm milk- 1/2 cup
Oil- 1/4 cup

For the Filling

Boiled and mashed potatoes- 3
Chopped onions- 2
Boiled and shredded chicken- 1 cup
Finely chopped ginger- 1 tablespoon
Finely chopped garlic- 1 tablespoon
Finely chopped coriander leaves- 1 tablespoon
Finely chopped mint leaves- 1/2 tablespoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 tablespoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Tomato sauce- 1 tablespoon

Method

Take the yeast in a bowl along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Add lukewarm water and keep aside for about 5 minutes till it becomes frothy and rises. In another bowl take rest of the ingredients and yeast and mix well till you get a ball. Tip onto a floured surface and knead till you get a smooth and elastic dough. Return to a bowl and cover with a damp cloth and keep in a warm place till it doubles up in volume.

Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and saute the onions till they turn pink in colour. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and stir for a minute. Add the coriander and chilli powder and stir for a minute. Add the chicken and potatoes and mix well. After a minute, add the garam masala powder, chopped leaves and mix well. Finally add the tomato sauce and mix well. Switch off the heat and let the mixture cool.

Flatten the dough with your hand and knead for a minute. If it is sticky, take a bit of oil in your hand and knead. Form small balls and flatten them using a rolling pin or with your hand and place some filling. Lift the edges and bring towards the centre and seal them. Form into a desired shape. Place these on a greased tray. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180C. Brush the buns with egg yolk.

Bake the buns for about 20 minutes or till they turn golden brown. Eat when its warm. They taste better when warm…