Lazy Belyashi

Belyashi are traditional Russian and Tatar meat-filled fried pastries, similar to savory stuffed doughnuts or meat-filled fried buns. They are delicious, but making the yeast dough, shaping each belyash, and waiting for the dough to rise is not always something you want to do. This version is much easier: the batter is made with kefir, and the belyashi are formed right in the skillet. They turn out golden, juicy, and very similar to traditional belyashi — only much quicker to make 

Ingredients

For the Batter

• 2 cups kefir (480 ml)

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vinegar

• 4 eggs

• 2 1/2 cups flour (375 g)

For the Filling

• 300–400 g ground meat (I used a mixture of beef and pork)

• 1 large onion

• Salt

• Pepper

• Vegetable oil for frying

Steps

Batter

1. Add the sugar, salt, and baking soda mixed with vinegar to the kefir, stir, and let stand for about 5 minutes, until bubbles form

2. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the kefir mixture

3. Gradually add the flour, stirring continuously, until a thick batter forms

Filling

4. Finely chop the onion using a blender

5. Mix the ground meat with the onion, season with salt and pepper, and add a little water to keep the filling juicy and not too thick

6. Spoon the batter onto a well-heated skillet with vegetable oil

7. Immediately spread about 1 tsp of the meat filling over the batter, then cover with another thin layer of batter

8. Fry covered, over low heat, until golden brown on both sides