This funny word hides nothing more than an unusually tasty and satisfying dish of Belarusian cuisine. Pyzy as soon as they are not called: potato sorcerers, and pezy, and dumplings, and even zeppelins! But in fact, this dish has its own unique taste and unique flavor. We understand the history of origin and find out how to cook Belarusian pyzy correctly together with VETLIVA!
History of potato pyzy
Although draniki (potato pancakes) are officially considered the №1 dish in Belarus, it is a mistake to think that this dish is typical only for our country. Potato pyzy is a different matter! If in appearance they can be similar to other sweets, then the composition and taste will differ from them.
Lithuanian potato zeppelins, with which it is customary to compare pyzy, first began to be called that in interwar Lithuania. The analogy is clear: they had an oblong shape and vaguely resembled flying war machines.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian dish was called pyzy (pezy, kartache (buckshot), shrapnel, depending on the region). And it was fundamentally different from the traditional Lithuanian zeppelins, and even outwardly. The pyzy have a ball shape, which is why there were associations with round ammunition.
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Another name under which pyzy is known is “dumplings of souls”. The filling in them acts as the body, and the shell of potato dough acts as the soul. Figuratively, isn’t it?
What is boiled pyzy made of?
So, as already mentioned above, the main ingredient for making pyzy is potatoes mixed in the right proportions with cottage cheese. The most amazing thing is that the dough is elastic even without adding eggs!
The stuffing for the pyzy is minced meat with onions and spices. Often, mushrooms and other ingredients were added to the dishes. Not without traditional cracklings: it is with them that restaurateurs recommend serving ready-made pyzy to the table.
VETLIVA tells: it seems to be that pyzy is too easy for you? Check out the list of the most famous Belarusian dishes!
Potato pyzy: recipe
So, the recipe for pyzy is quite simple. You will need:
● 1 pack of cottage cheese (it is best to take 250 g of homemade);
● 1 cup wheat flour
● 3 tablespoons of starch;
● 4 medium potatoes;
● 300 g minced meat;
● 1 onion;
● 3 cloves of garlic.
The cooking process itself is as follows:
- Rub the potatoes on a coarse grater.
- Mix potatoes, starch, cottage cheese, flour, and salt to taste, knead the dough (if it crumbles, add grated potatoes).
- Remove the dough for half an hour under a towel.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, spices to the minced meat, mix.
- Form a small cake from a small piece of dough, put minced meat in its middle, close it on top with another cake, carefully glue the edges. You can give the future pyzy the shape of a ball or zeppelin. They should be slightly larger than dumplings in size, although, in fact, it all depends on your taste. Just keep in mind that larger pyzy will take longer to cook.
- Fry the resulting balls until golden brown, transfer to a saucepan, fill with water so that they do not float in it, but are completely covered with it, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve browned and searingly hot pyzy with cracklings and fried onions. We assure you: your guests will be captivated by their taste!
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