Easy Ways to Cook Traditional Polish Dishes at your Convenience

Home cooking of the most popular Polish dishes can be an exciting journey for your taste buds. Polish cuisine has a reputation for the tasty and filling meals with rather basic products being used to prepare the dishes. Stay tuned for how to cook traditional Polish dishes at home.

1. Pierogi (Polish Dumplings)

Ingredients:

i. Dough: The ingredients used are flour, egg, water and salt.

ii. Fillings: Potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushrooms, meat, or fruit

Method:

Prepare the dough by combining the flour, an egg, a pinch of salt, and water and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. undefined

i. To assemble, prepare the filling of your choice.

ii. Spread the dough as thinly as possible and make round shapes.

iii. Put some filling on each circle, then fold over and pinch the edges to enclose the filling.

iv. Cook the pierogi in boiling, salted water until they float towards the surface and cook for an additional few minutes.

v. Alternatively, fry them in butter to make them crispy.

2. Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)

Ingredients:

Sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, various meats (pork, beef, sausage), mushrooms, onions, prunes, tomatoes, and spices

Method:

i. Fry the onions and the meats until they turn brown.

ii. Stir in sliced mushrooms and proceed with cooking.

iii. Add the sauerkraut and fresh cabbage into the pot.

iv. Stir in tomatoes, prunes, and spices (bay leaves, pepper, caraway seeds).

v. Slowly boil the stew for several hours, or, even better, cook it for a couple of days.

3. ?urek (Sour Rye Soup)

Ingredients:

Rye sourdough starter, white sausage, smoked bacon, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and spices

Method:

i. Make the rye sourdough starter several days ahead of time by combining rye flour and water then allowing the mixture to ferment.

ii. Fry the sausage and bacon in a pot and then add chopped vegetables.

iii. Add the fermented rye starter and enough water to prepare the soup.

iv. Include garlic and spices such as marjoram and pepper.

v. Continue cooking on low heat until vegetables are soft.

vi. Accompany it with boiled eggs and a spoonful of sour cream.

4. Go??bki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Ingredients:

Cabbage leaves, ground meat (pork or beef), rice, onions, and tomato sauce

Method:

i. Boil the cabbage and remove its leaves to soften them.

ii. Combine the ground meat with cooked rice and sautéed onions.

iii. Put a spoonful of the meat mixture in each Cabbage leaf and fold the sides to enclose the meat.

iv. Place the rolls in a pot, pour the tomato sauce over the rolls, and add some broth.

v. Continue cooking on low heat until the cabbage is softened and the flavors are combined.

5. Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

Ingredients:

Potatoes, onions, eggs, flour and salt

Method:

i. Peel and grate the potatoes and onions and then squeeze out the juice from them.

ii. Combined with eggs, flour, and a pinch of salt to from batter.

iii. Heat a frying pan and add a spoonful of the batter into the hot oil.

iv. Fry until crunchy and brown on both sides.

v. Accompany with sour cream or applesauce.

6. Kielbasa (Polish Sausage)

Ingredients:

Lean pork, garlic, marjoram, salt, black pepper, and small intestines

Method:

i. Combine the ground pork with minced garlic, marjoram, salt, and pepper.

ii. Finally, fill the mixture into natural casings through a sausage stuffer.

iii. Twist them into links and leave them to dry in the air for a few hours.

iv. Bake the sausages by grilling, frying or by boiling them in a pot.

7. Barszcz (Beet Soup)

Ingredients:

Beets, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and spices

Method:

i. The beets should be roasted or boiled and then peeled and chopped.

ii. Chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and fry them in a pot.

iii. Throw in the beets and enough water or broth to come up with a soup.

iv. With the appropriate seasonings such as bay leaves, allspice, and salt.

v. Cook until vegetables are tender and puree or sieve to get a smooth vegetable soup.

vi. Accompany with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

8. Polish Cheesecake (Sernik)

Ingredients:

Twaróg cheese or farmer’s cheese, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon zest

Method:

i. Start the oven and organize the springform pan.

ii. Whisk the cheese with eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.

iii. Transfer the mixture to the pan and bake until firm and slightly browned on top.

iv. Best served chilled can be garnished with fruits or powdered sugar on top.

9. Makowiec (Poppy Seed Roll)

Ingredients:

Poppy seeds, sugar, butter, milk, honey, raisins, and yeast dough

Method:

i. Knead the yeast dough and allow it to rise.

ii. Mortar poppy seeds and blend with sugar, butter, milk, honey and raisins for the filling.

iii. Roll the dough to a rectangular shape, put the filling, and roll the dough again.

iv. Put the roll on a baking tray and allow it to rise again before baking until golden brown.

v. Drizzle with icing or dust with powdered sugar.

10. Kapusta Z Grochem (Cabbage with Split Peas)

Ingredients:

Split peas, cabbage, onions, garlic, and bacon

Method:

i. Rinse and boil the split peas until soft.

ii. Stir onions, garlic and bacon until they turn brown.

iii. Put chopped cabbage and sauté until it becomes limp.

iv. Stir in the cooked split peas and season with salt and pepper to taste.

v. Continue stirring until the ingredients are well incorporated and the cabbage well cooked.

Conclusion

Preparing Polish cuisine recipes at your home is a fulfilling process that will introduce the flavors and the smell of Polish cuisine into your kitchen. These simple dishes made with basic ingredients and easy techniques serve as a glimpse into the Polish heritage. With pierogi, bigos, or any other traditional dish, the idea is to slow down and learn how to cook it, relishing the flavors of childhood memories and heritage.