Plăcintă cu brânză
Moldavian pan-fried cheese and dill pies
In Moldavia, on both sides of the Prut, plăcintă means a flat round pie fried or baked on a griddle, and the cheese and dill one is what grandmothers in Iași and Chișinău make for weekend breakfasts and for guests at the door. A soft, stretchy dough is pulled thin, wrapped around salty cheese with fresh dill and egg, coiled into a snail and flattened, then cooked in a pan until blistered and crisp. They are eaten hot with a glass of sour milk or tea. Chef's tip: rest the oiled dough properly so it stretches without tearing; skipping the rest is the common mistake and you'll be fighting a springy dough that leaks its filling.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To cook
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt, add 1 cup warm water and 1 tsp white wine vinegar and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and soft.
10 minStep 2: Divide into 6 balls, coat each well with 4 tbsp sunflower oil and leave covered for at least 30 minutes so the dough relaxes.
30 minStep 3: Mix 9 oz brânză or feta, 7 oz cottage cheese, 1 egg and 4 tbsp fresh dill.
3 minStep 4: On an oiled surface, press out a ball, then gently pull it from the edges into a very thin rectangle about 30 x 40 cm, thin enough to see through.
3 minStep 5: Spread a sixth of the filling along one long edge, roll up into a long rope and coil it into a snail. Press flat with your palm to a disc about 1.5 cm thick. Repeat with the rest.
12 minStep 6: Heat a thin film of oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook two pies at a time, covered for the first side, until the base is golden and blistered, then flip and cook until golden and the filling is hot, about 4 minutes per side.
25 minStep 7: Brush with 1 oz butter as they come out of the pan and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plăcintă cu brânză take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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