In every European country, there is a main dish of potatoes, and in Ukraine and Poland and Lithuania, and not only in these countries. No wonder that in Belarus, and in Minsk, the "capital of potatoes" (this is a joke, of course), there is such an ancient dish. But an interesting fact is that originally this dish was made with flour and meat in the stuffing. We are talking about "Witches", but over time more began to prepare a version of this dish with potatoes.
Once I recently cooked Lithuanian Zeppelins, I can say that "Kolduns" is tastier and more interesting. But this is for the amateur. Before I took up cooking, I researched this issue. And as a cook with 35 years of experience, after analyzing what I saw, I realized how best to cook this legendary dish. But I will say at once that it is easier and tastier to cook regular draniki or as we say kartoplyaniki with chicken)).
Ingredients:
potatoes - 1 kg
eggs - 1 pc.
Mashed meat - 500 grams
Milk - 150 grams
Butter - 100 grams
Vegetable oil - 150 grams
Onions - 5 medium onions
Salt, pepper to taste
The secret is to grate everything on a fine grater, if we are talking about a tetrahedral grater is the penultimate to the reduction. To grate potatoes it is necessary to grate a few onions on the fine grater. It is easier to do this in a blender. And while grinding the potatoes, constantly stir them with the onions. This will help the potatoes retain their color, this is important. After salt and set aside for a couple of minutes and then carefully squeeze out the excess liquid. Now prepare the stuffing. As I've written before, it's better to make your own homemade. I have a cool meat grinder, I myself know how to sharpen a knife and grate to it. Compared to the electric, minced meat is much tastier. Electric it grinds excessively, from meat remains "nothing" - mashed potato, in a regular meat grinder is very good, grinds coarser. (The best cutlets are cutlets of minced meat, when Vladimir Ulyanov was in exile on the settlement. His grandmother, at whose house he was stationed, regularly made him chopped meat cutlets, what did he lack in life?)
Sorry, I got a little distracted. You can add 150 grams of water or milk per 500 grams of minced meat for juiciness. A few finely chopped onions, salt, pepper to taste. Add parsley herbs to taste.
Meanwhile, in the squeezed potatoes, return the starch that has settled in the squeezed liquid from the potatoes. Per kilo of potatoes, one egg, one spoonful of flour without a slide, a little salt and pepper and 30 grams of milk. Mix everything, everything is ready to form "Witches". It is easier to make cutlets from minced meat first, and then take a piece of potato, flatten it out, put the cutlet on top of the potato and form "Witches". Roast on a high heat on three sides, then put into a taco or duck pans, be sure to add water, 150 grams of butter and vegetable oil for about 30 grams. You can add more butter.
They turned out big enough for me. Bake for 50 minutes or one hour in an oven at 180 degrees. After 30 minutes add100 grams of water. It turns out great, the dish is more like a restaurant, we really liked it. Respect to the Belarusian and Lithuanian cuisine. But Pansky Drednik, which are prepared in our western Ukraine will be tastier, but it is for the lover)). I enclose a photo and a short video of this miracle dish "Kolduny".
