Fried Pirozhki with Potatoes and Minced Meat

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for frying

Steps

1. Prepare the dough according to the recipe in the 'Dough' section.
2. Prepare the filling according to the recipe in the 'Filling' section.
3. Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat — it should be enough to shallow-fry the pirozhki.
4. If the dough is already divided into balls, work in batches: stretch each ball by hand into a flatbread, place a full tablespoon of filling in the center, tightly pinch the edges, and form a pirozhok.
5. Fry the pirozhki in batches in the heated pan until golden brown on both sides (approximately 2–4 minutes per side, depending on size and heat).
6. Place the finished pirozhki on a paper towel to absorb excess oil; serve hot — they are crispy when hot and soft after cooling.

Dough

• Flour — 650 g
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Sugar — 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
• Boiling water — 250 ml
• Water (warm, not hot) — 200 ml
• Yeast (10 g dry or 25 g fresh) — 10 g

1. In a large bowl, sift approximately 3 tablespoons of flour, add salt, sugar, and 3 tbsp oil; pour in 250 ml of boiling water and quickly stir until smooth, to avoid lumps; let the mixture cool to a warm state.
2. Add 200 ml of warm water (not hot) and 10 g of dry yeast (or 25 g of fresh), stir until the yeast dissolves.
3. Gradually add the remaining flour and knead the dough until a soft, elastic consistency is achieved; if the dough is sticky, grease your hands with oil to make it easier to work with.
4. Form the dough into approximately 16 balls, about 70 g each, and set aside the prepared balls for further shaping of the pirozhki.

Filling

• Mashed potatoes — 500 g
• Minced meat, fried with onion — 400 g
• Green onion
• Salt
• Pepper

1. In a bowl, combine 500 g of mashed potatoes with 400 g of minced meat, already fried with onion.
2. Finely chop the green onion and add to the mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste; thoroughly mix the filling until uniform.