Knish

Small balls of onion-potato stuffing wrapped in crisp, flaky pastry. Carb heaven, an explosion of flavor. This is Knish.

Knish, unlike most of the dumplings, are open. The dough is formed around the stuffing to prevent real stufing explosion.

In Poland and Russia are almost forgotten, in France often can be found under the name “pirożki”, but really they found own niche in New York.

From the Eastern European knish emigrated with Ashkenazi Jews. First, to Western Europe, then to America. They are typically “street” food, sold from carts, packed in the newspaper tubes (though nowadays rather in ecological bags). Established themselves in New York, by storm taking carts with food and won the hearts (and stomachs) of New Yorkers.

Apparently you’re not a true New Yorker, if you have not eaten knishes from Brooklyn. And if you have eaten a knish and you did not like it? Well, apparently you didn’t eat it the right one. 🙂

But you do not have to travel to New York to try knish. You can make them at home, by yourself.

While most traditional are stuffed with potatoes with onions, you can also found knishes with buckwheat, cottage cheese or minced meat.

European knishes are small, “one bite” size. But in US? Almost twice bigger. And what size you make?

Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients:

dough:

330g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 cups of liquid coconut oil (clarified butter)

0.5 cups of warm water

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 1 tablespoon of hot water (or 1 whole egg)

stuffing:

21 oz of potatoes

2 yellow onions

1 bunch green onions

coconut oil for frying

spices:

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon hot pepper

1 teaspoon savory

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation: 

• Grind spices, put into a jar.
• Sift the flour into a bowl, add baking powder and salt.
• Pour hot water into grounded flaxseed, stir, let sit for a few minutes. Then mix with the hand blender.
• Add oil, water and vinegar. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour liquids into flour. Mix until liquids are fully absorbed, and then translate the dough on the table and begin to knead the dough.
• Knead the dough for a long time, approx. 10 minutes (you can do it in a machine). The dough is elastic and should move away from the hand, there is no need for dusting flour.
• The kneaded dough wrap in cling film and put aside in the fridge for min. 1 hour.
• Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water. When they are soft, squeeze them through crusher or grinder. Leave to cool.
• Onions, cut into small cubes.
• Warm up the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion. When they browned, leave to cool.
• Green onions chop.
• Potatoes, onions and green onions translate into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of premade spices and mix thoroughly.
• Teach baking tray with baking paper and grease with coconut oil or clarified butter.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, divide in half.
• Roll out the dough very thinly, trying to give an elongated, similar to a rectangle, shape.
• Half of the stuffing put on the dough, form the log.
• Then wrap the filling in the dough.
• Cut off “empty” parts of the dough (on the ends of the log), the rest cut into 8 – 10 parts.
• Form a round knish. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Warm up the oven to 190C (375F).
• Bake approx. 30 – 35 minutes.

Enjoy it 🙂