Lemko pyrohy with sauerkraut

What it is

Lemkos, like other mountain people in western Ukraine, call dumplings pyrohy. Pyrohy were not an everyday food: they were made for holidays and Sunday lunch.

On Christmas Eve (Sviatvechir), the main dish is pyrohy with sauerkraut. The cabbage is sautéed in oil with onions, often adding dried mushrooms; the dough is unleavened, made from flour, water, and salt. The cabbage for the filling is fermented in the autumn: a Lemko housewife would prepare at least one barrel for winter.

On weekdays and Sundays, they made pyrohy with potatoes and cheese, served with a bowl of sour cream. There were also sweet ones — with plums, pears, or jam.

Lemkivshchyna is now mostly in Poland. After the resettlements of 1944–1947, Lemko families that found themselves in Ukraine — in Lviv, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions — preserve pyrohy as part of the Christmas Eve table.

History and name

According to the article 'Lemko Cuisine' (Wikipedia), Lemkos made pyrohy only on festive days; fillings included cheese, cabbage, jam, plums, and pears. Natalia Kravchuk, whose childhood was spent among resettled Lemkos in Warmia and Masuria, recalls the mandatory Sunday pyrohy with potatoes and cheese.

Radio Free Europe recorded the memories of resettled Lemkos in Ivano-Frankivsk in 2012: on Christmas Eve, the most important were pyrohy with sauerkraut, and cabbage, wheat, and mushrooms were found in every home.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: lean, with sauerkraut (on christmas eve)

Wheat flour500–600 gFor the dough of varenyky, palačinky, bobalyok, and pasky.Contains allergens: gluten

Sauerkraut600–800 gShredded cabbage, fermented with salt in a barrel; a winter supply for every mountain family.

Onion2–3 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Also: dried porcini (20–40 g, optional), water (250–300 ml), sunflower oil (4–6 tbsp.), salt (to taste), black pepper (to taste, optional)

Contains allergens: gluten
Diet: lenten · vegan

Variant: with potatoes and cheese (sunday)

wheat flour, water, potato, curd cheese (tvaroh), onion, butter, sour cream, salt

Contains allergens: gluten, milk
Diet: vegetarian

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 40–50 pyrohy

• Wheat flour — 500–600 g
• Water — 250–300 ml
• Sauerkraut — 600–800 g
• Onion — 2–3 pcs.
• Dried porcini — 20–40 g
• Sunflower oil — 4–6 tbsp.
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste

1. Knead unleavened dough from flour, warm water, and a pinch of salt; let it rest under a bowl for 20–30 minutes.
2. Drain the sauerkraut (rinse if necessary), finely chop it, and sauté it in oil with onions for 30–40 minutes until soft. Optionally, add boiled and chopped dried mushrooms. The filling should be somewhat dry and completely cooled.
3. For Sunday pyrohy, boil the potatoes, mash them, mix with cheese and sautéed onions, and season with salt.
4. Roll out the dough thinly, cut out circles with a glass, place the filling, and tightly seal the edges.
5. Boil in salted water in small batches for 3–5 minutes after the pyrohy float to the surface.
6. Remove with a slotted spoon and drizzle: for lean ones — with oil and sautéed onions, for rich ones — with melted butter.

How it is served

Lean ones — with onions in oil; potato ones with cheese — with butter and sour cream.

Variants

Lean pyrohy with cabbage were placed on the Christmas Eve table; potato ones with cheese were served for Sunday lunch. Sweet pyrohy were made with plums, pears, or jam.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

Historical Lemkivshchyna (now mostly in Poland) and communities in Lviv, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, where Lemkos were resettled. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Christmas Eve · Christmas · Everyday food

In tradition

On Christmas Eve, Lemkos placed 12 lean dishes on the table, and pyrohy with sauerkraut were among the most important. Outside of holidays, pyrohy were made for Sunday lunch — there was a lot of work, so they were hardly made on weekdays.

FAQ