It’s Pi(e) Day on March 14, so I had to make a pie, right? Well, seeing I am still working on educating myself on all things Ukrainian, I decided to make Kapustyanyy pyrih — Ukrainian-Style Cabbage Pie. It’s sort of a cross between a souffle, a crust-less quiche and a savory pie like a potato-leek pie. It’s got a whole lot of cabbage of-course (not fermented cabbage / sauerkraut though, just raw cabbage that is baked), as well as herbs and onions and a light, super eggy crust. It’s not like anything that I have ever had before, but I do quite like it. I also could see making this in like a rectangular brownie pan and serving it as a side with a meat dish. Apparently, you can also make variations with other veggies included (i.e. carrot or potatoes) or add in some sauteed chicken or sausage or ham. Pleasantly pleased at the outcome.
Ingredients
for the filling
1 medium cabbage head, about 4 cups shredded
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
for the batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
5 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
sesame or poppy seeds, optional
Directions
In a large bowl mix shredded cabbage, sliced onion, parsley, dill, salt and pepper, set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter or spray a pie plate or a casserole dish with baking spray.
Make your pie batter by adding to a large work bowl, the flour, baking powder, baking soda. and salt. Whisk to combine. In another work bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and lightly beaten eggs. Fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture.
Pour 2/3 of the batter to the baking dish. Using a clean dish towel, squeeze out the excess liquid from cabbage filling, wringing with your hands. There may be lots of water. Then spread the cabbage mixture on top of the batter. Crumble feta evenly on the top of the cabbage, then cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds, if using. Bake for 1 hour, or until the pie is golden brown and the sides are slightly pulled from the baking dish. Serve hot or room temperature.
