10 Russian Egg Recipes
Posted on: January 24th 2022
Russia has gone through several cultural renaissances, spanning decades and monarchies. While you may primarily associate this powerhouse country with freezing winters and sprawling size, traditional cuisines are the heart of Russian culture. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Russia, you’ll find many dishes featuring tasty cabbage, rich meats, and incredible pastry.
Like most countries, Russia draws inspiration for its national cuisine from its neighbors. You’ll never be at a loss for a hearty and delicious meal, as even the side dishes can be incredibly filling. If you crave international foods and love trying new dishes, these Russian egg recipes are the perfect addition to your cookbook!
Consider this your introduction to authentic Russian cuisine.
Davay prigotovim! Let’s get cooking!
1. Russian Deviled Eggs With Caviar
Caviar is always a treat, whether you put it on toast, crackers, or blinis — but it’s especially delightful when served on top of a deviled egg. For many Russian families, caviar is a dinner table must-have, especially on holidays and other special occasions.
Caviar’s salty flavor and smooth, creamy texture instantly elevate a dish. You may enjoy deviled eggs with a garnish of parsley or tomato, but we think you’ll like this caviar recipe a little better.
Ingredients:
- Large eggs
- Mayonnaise
- Whole-milk kefir
- Caviar (red salmon roe)
- Wasabi paste
- Salt
- Dill
After boiling the eggs until fully cooked, slice them in half and place the yolks in a bowl. Mash with a fork, adding the mayonnaise, salt, dill, wasabi, and kefir to create the filling. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and top with a generous amount of caviar. Alternative variations of this recipe use other ingredients such as mustard, horseradish, sriracha, Worcester sauce, sweet pickle relish, and beets.
2. Syrniki
When you are craving something sweet and filling, try this traditional Russian breakfast recipe. A syrnik is a fluffy, soft pancake made from farmer’s cheese. Combined with fried dough, these ingredients create an irresistible treat that is crunchy on the outside, and creamy and buttery on the inside. But don’t let this delicious dish’s dessert-like nature fool you. Syrniki have more protein than carbs, so you’ll feel fuller longer.
Just like traditional American pancakes, you can serve syrniki with maple syrup, fresh fruit, and a cup of coffee. Or, you can enjoy them with jam, honey, dried fruit, yogurt, powdered sugar, or caramel.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Flour
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
You can create this recipe at home by combining all the ingredients except the vegetable oil with a fork. Next, it’s time to shape the syrniki. Do this by using an ice cream scoop to spoon the dough into a mound of flour. Roll the dough into a ball, then pat it down into a pancake that’s about 3/4″ thick. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry the pancakes until they are golden brown on both sides.
The syrniki dough should be solid, not sticky. If you find the dough sticking to your hands when you’re trying to mold it, add a little more flour to the batter to absorb the excess liquid. If you don’t like cottage cheese, you can substitute ricotta cheese and achieve the same result.
3. Vareniki
Every culture has a unique twist on dumplings. Whether you prefer savory meat-filled dough or a sugary glazed pastry, there’s no denying the global admiration for this comfort food. There are many ways to cook a dumpling, including boiling, frying, or baking. One Russian dumpling style called vareniki traditionally has fillings like meat, cottage cheese, or potatoes. Here’s a simplified, filling-free version of this recipe you can make at home.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
Start by breaking up the cottage cheese and spooning it into a large bowl. Add in the sugar and eggs, and mix to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Next, add the flour and stir with a fork. The dough will be sticky, but should not stick to your hands. If the dough is too wet, mix in more flour until you can work with the dough without it sticking.
Break the dough apart into several pieces to work with. Roll out the dough into a strip and cut into smaller bites. Add the vareniki to boiling water and cook until they float to the top.
Remember, this is a streamlined vareniki recipe. When you are working with different fillings, your prep and cook times will be significantly longer. Regardless, you should try different savory and sweet fillings until you find the perfect vareniki recipe to suit your taste.
4. Sharlotka
For family dinners, dreary days, and potlucks, nothing warms the heart quite like a fresh apple dessert — whether pie, fritter, or cake. Sharlotka is the epitome of classic comfort food, as a Russian apple sponge cake that is too moist, fluffy, and delicious to resist.
Sharlotka has been around for centuries and is a perfect recipe to have on hand for those autumn weekend mornings when you don’t have to hurry off to work. It’s a simple and affordable sponge cake that requires little skill or baking experience, even though its flavor seems otherwise. Here is how you can recreate it in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Apples
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Cloves
- Orange zest
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
The first step of this recipe is to whip the eggs with sugar. Many new, eager bakers make the mistake of not whipping these two ingredients long enough. But with an egg-based cake recipe, it is crucial to fully incorporate the eggs and sugar with a handheld electric mixer. After combining the eggs, add the flour and baking powder to the mix and blend for another few minutes to create the dough.
For the apples, make sure to peel them first and slice them very thin. Mix the spices with the apples to evenly coat each slice. All you have left to do is arrange the apple slices in your cake pan, top it with the dough, and bake for about 35 minutes. Add a coating of powdered sugar, and you have a sharlotka!
Before making sharlotka, bring the eggs to room temperature before baking, as it takes cold eggs longer to whip. If there are any leftovers, cover the cake with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.
5. Piroshki
Piroshki, also spelled “pirojki” or “pirozhiki,” are a popular street food in Russia consisting of yeast-leavened buns filled with meat, potatoes, cabbage, eggs, fruit, jam, and other scrumptious comfort food. These fried pies are soft and fluffy all around. They are perfect for casual dinners, potlucks, parties, or whenever you need a dish that pleases everyone. Though you can make piroshki at home using whatever ingredients you prefer, this recipe relies on ground beef and rice to fill the dough.
Ingredients:
- Flour
- Baking yeast
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
- Water
- Ground beef
- Garlic cloves
- Rice
First, make the dough by combining the salt, flour, and yeast in a large bowl. Pour in the water and vegetable oil and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and pliable. Cover with a layer of vegetable oil, place in the mixing bowl, and cover with a damp towel before storing the bowl in the microwave.
To make the filling, cook the meat, salt, and garlic in a skillet with a touch of olive oil. Prepare the rice according to the instructions on the packaging. Combine the beef and rice in a bowl. To make the meat pockets, knead the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk and divide it into small pieces. Roll the pieces of dough into balls, then flatten them. Fill the centers with the beef mixture and fold to seal.
All that’s left to do is fry the pies in hot oil and cook them until the outside is golden. To make sure your dough becomes ultra puffy during the frying process, allow it to rest on the counter for approximately 20 minutes before frying in the oil. This waiting period allows the dough to rise a little more, preventing the outside layer from cracking and causing leakage.
6. Blini
Blini, also spelled “bliny,” are essentially Russian crepes you can pair with various toppings. Traditional recipes call for making these pancakes from wheat and serving them with butter, caviar, preserves, sour cream, honey, or berries. This quick and straightforward dish is one of the most quintessential Russian meals. Maslenitsa, which translates to “pancake week,” is a winter festival the week before Great Lent in which blini is a main dish.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Whole-milk kefir
- Flour
- Butter
- Baking soda
- Vegetable oil
- Sugar
- Salt
When preparing the blini, start by whisking flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Slowly add in the kefir, whisking to combine the ingredients into a smooth mixture. Next, whisk in the eggs, then the vegetable oil. If you find the batter is too thick, add more kefir to the mix.
This next step is perhaps the most critical — letting the batter rest at room temperature. Doing so will help you fold the blini when the time comes to fry them. When the batter is ready for cooking, heat butter in a skillet and spoon the batter into the center of the pan, only adding a quarter of a cup. Use the handle to tilt and rotate the skillet to coat the bottom in a thin layer of batter.
Fry the batter until golden brown, remove from the heat, and enjoy with your favorite toppings!
7. Kurnik
If you ever find yourself at a traditional wedding in Russia, you will undoubtedly see a kurnik sitting on the buffet. Resembling a chicken pot pie, but with a little more flair, kurnik is an eye-catching concoction of golden crust covering layers of meat, vegetables, and eggs. Kurnik, also known as wedding pirog, originated in Southern Russia. Along with its unforgettable flavor, kurnik is known for its intricate dome shape.
This recipe is a bit simpler than baking a full-sized kurnik, so you don’t have to worry about creating the signature dome. Regardless, your pie will be just as delicious! While you don’t need to spend the extra time cutting out dough decorations, you can try it out to make your kurnik more beautiful.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Flour
- Water
- Rice
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Cornstarch
- Half-and-half
- Chicken broth
- Diced chicken
- Dill
- Pepper
- Salt
Making the pastry for the kurnik is the easy part. All you have to do is place the butter, cream cheese, and flour into a steel-bladed food processor, and run the machine until the dough forms. When it is ready, roll the dough on a floured surface, so it fits your pie pan’s measurements.
After making the dough, you can start on the filling. Prepare the rice using a mixture of chicken broth, water, and salt. After cooking the rice, it’s time to sauté the onions and mushrooms in a skillet. Then, you’ll combine the cornstarch and half-and-half with onions and chicken broth over the stovetop, bringing the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and spices. The last steps are layering the ingredients in the pie dish and baking to golden perfection!
8. Cabbage Pie
It might be an understatement to call Russian cooks cabbage-obsessed. Russia has one of the world’s highest per-capita cabbage consumption rates, and one reason is perhaps that this veggie is so versatile. You can eat it raw, boiled, baked, sautéed, roasted, fried, and any other way you can imagine! It is the quintessential winter vegetable.
This Russian egg recipe wraps braised cabbage and boiled eggs in a buttery, flaky crust of perfection. What truly elevates this rich and savory dish into a delectable dinner staple is the sour cream, which adds moisture and fat to make the crust extra flaky. Here is everything you need to know about cabbage pie.
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Flour
- Sour cream
- Eggs
- Salt
- Fresh cabbage
- Vegetable oil
Start by mixing the butter, salt, and flour in a food processor until crumbs form. Add the mixture to a bowl and combine with egg and sour cream. When the dough forms, roll it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Now, it is time to hard-boil the eggs and chop them up. Then, slice and season the cabbage before cooking it in a heated skillet with butter and oil. Mix the eggs with the cabbage, and you have your filling!
To make the crust, separate the dough into bottom and top layers. Fill the pie with the cabbage mixture, top it with a lattice made with dough strips, and bake. In only 40 minutes, you’ll have an authentic Russian cabbage pie. This version of cabbage pie is a relatively simple recipe, so feel free to add more ingredients. Combining crunchy cabbage with savory pairings like onions, mushrooms, ground meat, and rice will add a complementary medley of flavors and textures.
9. Potato Salad
Potato salad is a classic Russian dish found at most restaurants and gatherings. While many countries have their versions of potato salad, this recipe is a staple in Russia and Ukraine. Russian potato salad is essentially a loaded potato salad, with more ingredients and fresh herbs than you will find in traditional American potato salad.
The best part about making potato salad is that you can modify the recipe to your taste, adding your favorite ingredients to put your unique spin on this dish. So, if you prefer bologna or salami to summer sausage, switch it up! If you don’t like pickles, opt for fresh cucumbers instead! The possibilities and combinations are virtually endless.
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- White vinegar
- Summer sausage
- Dill pickles
- Green onions
- Sweet peas
- Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dill paste
Of course, the first step in making this Russian potato salad is to cook the potatoes! Peel and dice your root vegetables and place them in boiling water. Dicing the potatoes and carrots before cooking them allows the cubes to maintain their shape and prevent them from becoming mushy when mixed with the other ingredients.
Another tip you can follow to ensure your diced potatoes retain their shape is to add half a tablespoon of white vinegar to the boiling water.
While the potatoes are cooking, hard-boil the eggs and prep the remaining ingredients. Dice the sausage, pickles, and green onions. After the eggs finish cooking, cut them into cubes as well. Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, adding the mayonnaise, chopped dill, salt, and pepper for flavor. To elevate this dish’s flavor profile, let the potato salad refrigerate for an hour before serving.
10. Pelmini
There’s no question Russians love their dumplings! But can you blame them? It’s almost a guarantee that any food stuffed into a pocket of dough will be delicious. These dumplings are so popular that many people consider them to be Russia’s national dish. You’ll find them served and enjoyed in homes and restaurants all over the country.
These succulent and tender dumplings of ground meat and onions are even more delicious when served with a dollop of sour cream or some melted butter. While this recipe uses ground meat, you can add pork, chicken, or turkey instead. This recipe will show you how to make pelmini by hand and with a unique mold called a “pelmenitsa,” which translates to “dumplings.”
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Flour
- Water
- Onion
- Ground meat
- Pepper
- Salt
While this isn’t the quickest recipe to make, the results are worth every minute of your preparation and cooking time! Start by sifting the flour and salt into a bowl, then adding the eggs and thoroughly combining the ingredients. Add some water and use a mixer to work the dough until it’s smooth. Now it’s time to make the filling. All you have to do is combine the beef, onion, and seasonings in a bowl.
When it’s time to create the dumplings, you can assemble them by hand or using a pelmenitsa. Be sure to work with the dough on a floured surface, so the dumplings don’t stick. Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to carve out circles. Spoon the filling into the middle of each circle, then fold half the dough over the filling to create a crescent shape.
Pinch the edges to seal the dumplings and cook them in a pot of boiling salted water. In only a few minutes, you’ll have fresh-made pelmini!
Russian Cuisine Has Never Been Better Than With Sauder’s Eggs
Nothing makes a recipe irresistible like fresh ingredients, and there’s no better place to get high-quality eggs than Sauder’s Eggs. At the heart of our family-owned operation are our values of integrity and quality assurance, so you can trust that every egg is more than satisfactory. Whether you’re baking for the family or cooking dinner for two, our products bring flavor to every dish. Shop for Sauder’s Eggs at a store near you today!
