Multi-Grain Dumplings (Varenyky, Perogy) - Gluten Free Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pierogi and vareniki? ›

The name differs depending on the region, with states further east such as Russia preferring the term vareniki, while those further west, such as Poland and Slovakia, use the term pierogi. Unlike pelmeni, they are usually stuffed with a vegetarian filling of potato, cabbage, cheese, or mushrooms.

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt to 4 quarts of water, bring to a boil, gently place frozen pierogies into water. Stirring gently, bring water to a simmer & cook pierogies for approx. 8-10 minutes. Drain well, top with your favorite trimmings.

What they taste like: Pierogis are heartier and heftier than Asian dumplings like gyoza and Chinese potstickers. The dumpling wrapper is thicker and the filling is often rich. The dumpling itself is also bigger and heavier, and often topped with a sauce of melted butter.

A lot of GF dumpling wrapper recipes call for chickpea flour, but we find that tapioca starch is more versatile for other recipes (as a thickening agent, binder, dredge, and more), and we imagine that in gluten-free households, the 1:1 gluten-free-flour substitute is more versatile as well.

Like salo and borscht, vareniki are considered part of traditional Ukrainian cuisine. But there is at least one other country where these dumplings are as popular — Poland.

Noun. Boiled dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese, or other filling; a serving of these; plural of varenyk.

T's Pierogies. If you have the time, boil the frozen pierogies first, to get the pasta perfect for sautéing. However, it's not a must—you can also cook frozen pierogies right in the skillet without boiling them—and they will turn out delicious.

Frozen pierogies may be partially defrosted before heating. Boil: Place 1 dozen pierogies in a pot of rapidly boiling, salted water (6 quarts for refrigerated pierogies, 8 quarts for frozen pierogies). When they rise to the surface, flat side up, they are done. Drain and serve with sauteed onions or sour cream.

Frozen: Defrost pierogi overnight and use the above instructions to sear them. If you're boiling or steaming them you don't have to defrost them but boil them for 5 minutes and steam them for 8 minutes. Alternatively you can cook them from frozen but don't start them too hot.

Ukrainians serve perogies at Sunday dinners, Christmas Eve feasts and on special occasions. Ukrainian lore also used to have women eating perogies on the second day of their wedding celebrations to bring about well-being, while farmers would often eat the halfmoon-shaped food in the fields to conjure abundance.

What do Ukrainians call perogies? ›

The word 'varenyky' comes from the Ukrainian word 'varyty´ or 'to boil' because this product is cooked in boiling water. This comfort food is spelled many different ways: pyrohy, pyrogy, pyrogie, pierogi, perogi and others.

German-speaking regions

The common term Pirogge (pl. Piroggen) describes all kinds of Eastern European filled dumplings and buns, including pierogi, pirozhki and pirogs.

Dumplings (especially Chinese ones) are usually wrapped in a wheat dough. If you are gluten-free, be cautious; the dough used for making crystal shrimp dumplings (har gow) contains wheat starch in addition to tapioca flour. The batter used to make rice noodle rolls (cheong fun) sometimes contain wheat starch too.

BALVITEN Gluten-Free Universal Mix for Bread, 500 g, Certified, for Baking Cakes, Dumplings, Pancakes.

Pelmeni are never served with a sweet filling, which distinguishes them from vareniki and Polish pierogi, which sometimes are. Also, the fillings in pelmeni are usually raw, while the fillings of vareniki and pierogi are typically precooked.

Also called perogi or perogy, Polish pierogi (pronounced pih-ROH-ghee) or homemade pierogies are small half-moon dumplings. They're also chock-full of fabulous fillings. Interestingly, the word pierogi is actually plural. But the singular form pieróg is hardly ever used.