Vegan Misir Wot Pierogi Recipes

PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make a well from the flour. Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water. The amount of water will vary according to the weather. You want to make a stiff dough. Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
• Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
• Saute onion in butter until just soft. Add kapusta and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked. If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
• Mix well.
• To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza. Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling. Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling. Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes. At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use. To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter. If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease. Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.

VEGAN MISIR WOT PIEROGI

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 mins. Drain.
• Meanwhile, bring the lentils and 3 cups water to a boil in a pot. Cook until the lentils are tender but not disintegrating, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Place the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until mashed with no lumps. Add the berbere, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to mix until combined.
• Check the dough for consistency; it should be moist and pliable but not wet. To test, roll a bit of dough between your palms: If it crumbles, add some vegetable oil until it holds together. If it's sticky and clings to your hands, add instant potato flakes until it holds together.
• Finally, taste for salt. The filling should be slightly saltier than you prefer so that the flavor stands up to the dough.
• To assemble the pierogi: On a well-floured surface, roll out a ball of Vegan Pierogi Dough the size of a large orange into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out 3-inch rounds of dough (a pint glass will do).
• Place 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each round and fold the rounds in half. Take care to make sure all the air pockets are pressed out of the pierogi. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.
• Boil the pierogi for 3 minutes, then brown in a skillet. Serve with caramelized onions and sour cream.
• Add the flax seeds and 2 cups water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. (Keep an eye on the pan: Once the mixture starts boiling, it will foam up and boil over quickly!) As soon it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Strain the resulting gel through a nut-milk bag or fine-mesh sieve. Discard the seeds and refrigerate the gel until cool.
• Mix the instant mashed potatoes with 1/2 cup water and let stand 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the flour, water, baking powder, salt, 1 cup flax gel and 3/4 cup of the instant potatoes to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky, about 8 minutes. Turn the dough out into a bowl and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

LENTEN PIROGI AND BOBALKI

Steps:

• Cook potatoes in simmering water until soft and put them through a potato ricer. Saute onion in margarine until very soft. Add 1/2 of the onions to the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• For the pirogi sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add vegetable oil and enough water to make a soft dough and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the hands. Cover dough and let rest for about 5 minutes. Roll out dough on a floured board to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into small squares and place a dollop of potato mixture in the center of each square. Fold dough, pinching ends to form a triangle. When all are made, put into boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes.
• For bobalki, roll out leftover dough into 3-inch long pieces and cook with pirogi.
• When all are cooked, drain and serve with the remaining Sauteed onions on top.

ALICHA MISIR

Steps:

• For the lentils: Start with warming the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups of the hot water and bring it to a boil. Add the lentils and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and adding the remaining hot water as needed, until the lentils are thickened and can be broken with a spoon, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeño, cover and simmer for 2 minutes and let it settle. Add more salt, to taste.
• For the tomato salad: Stir to combine the olive oil, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice and onion in a medium bowl. Season with salt and add additional olive oil if needed.
• Serve the alicha misir over a flat piece of injera with the tomato salad and rolled, sliced injera on the side. It also can be served spooned over rice.

MISIR WOT (SPICY RED LENTILS)

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Massage the lentils with your hands to remove any dirt or debris. Rinse the lentils a few times until the water runs clear. This may require several rinses. Soak the lentils in lukewarm water for approximately 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onions and tomatoes to a large pot and cook over medium heat until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Make sure the onions do not get too dark. Add the berbere and continue to cook until the berbere is fully combined with the onion and tomato mixture, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cook the tomato, onion and berbere mixture until it reduces and begins to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to bring up the stuck tomatoes and onions. Add another 1 cup water and allow the mixture to reduce again for another 10 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot. Add 1 cup water more, reduce again for 10 minutes then scrape the bottom of the pot (Adding and reducing 3 times will give your lentils a rich and layered flavor.) Be sure not to step away from the pot during this process. As Azla says, "Misir wot has jealous tendencies and wants your full, undivided attention from start to finish."
• Strain the soaked lentils in a colander and allow them to drain for a few minutes. Meanwhile, add 8 cups water to the pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add the lentils, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Finish with the ground nutmeg and sea salt to taste. Serve with injera or your favorite whole grain.