Polish & Vegan: Czerwony barszcz z krokietami

On Couchsurfing (yes again – I just love this website) Angelina wrote me that her boyfriend is from Poland and as both of them are vegan they would like to teach me a very famous Polish dish – Czerwony barszcz z krokietami which means Red borsch with croquettes.

Luckily for me Angelina and Peter were on a trip through Germany and so they also came to Berlin. I really enjoyed cooking together with them and I learned a lot about Polish cuisine. One of the things I learned was that Polish food is pretty delicious. 😉

Czerwony barszcz z krokietami

for the barszcz:

• 1kg beetroot
• about 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• parsley
• 3 bay leaves
• allspiece
• 1 tablespoon marjoram
• 1 tablespoon vinnegar (apple)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• salt & pepper

for the krokietami (or krokiety):

dough:

• 250g flour
• 200ml water
• 200ml soymilk
• 1 package baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

stuffing:

• oil
• 1 onion
• 200g smoked tofu
• 250g mushrooms
• 1 glass sauerkraut
• salt & pepper

for frying:

• oil
• breadcrumbs
• flour
• water

A lot of ingredients – I know! But it´s worth it! 🙂

Let´s start with the barszcz again. Cut the vegetables (except the beetroot) and boil them with three liters of water. Strain and add the sliced beetroot, bay leaves, allspice, marjoram.

Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the vinnegar and parsley and season with salt, sugar and pepper. Let sit while you prepare the krokiety – the barsczc will get a beautiful, intence colour the longer you wait.

Put the dough ingredients together and stir until smooth. Heat oil in a pan and add some dough. You want to make very thin pancakes. Continue until all dough is gone.

Cut the vegetables and the tofu for the stuffing. Heat some oil in a pot or a large fryíng pan. Add the onion, the tofu and the mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes. Add the Sauerkraut. Season with salt & pepper.

 

Now you put one of the thin pancakes on a plate. Put a tablespoon of the filling in the middle and roll them to small packages like you see in the pictures. Continue until all pancakes and stuffing are gone.

Put some flour and water in a bowl and stir until smooth. It should be a thick, sticky liquid. Put some breadcrumbs in another bowl. Now you take the krokiety. Roll one by one first in the bowl with the flour/water mixture and then in the breadcrumbs. Continue with all krokiety.

Now you fry them in a large frying pan and don´t be shy with the oil. Fry both sides until golden brown.

Angelina and Peter told me that you eat the krokiety on a plate together with the barszcz which you serve in a cup. So you actually drink the barszcz.

Bon appetit! 🙂