Plăcinte with red amaranth and/or cheese

Name: Plăcinte with red amaranth and/or cheese
Ingredients: 1 kg white flour; 25 g fresh yeast; 500 ml lukewarm water; 1 tablespoon sugar; 3 tablespoons flax seeds; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3-4 tablespoons oil; 300 g telemea cheese; 200 g brânză de burduf; 15 g fresh dill; 100 g sour cream; 500 g red amaranth; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 150 ml oil

Appetizers - Plăcinte with red amaranth and/or cheese by Carmina C. - Recipia

Plăcinte with red amaranth and/or cheese are Romanian stuffed pies, fried in a pan until golden spots appear. The yeasted dough stays soft, and the cheese and dill filling is creamy; you can make one filling or both. I choose young leaves without any yellowed patches. Prep: 55 minutes. Cooking: 76 minutes. Resting: 60 minutes. Total time: 191 minutes. Servings: 16. Approximately 400 kcal and 12 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the dough

1 kg white flour
25 g fresh yeast
500 ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons oil

For the cheese filling

300 g telemea cheese
200 g brânză de burduf
15 g fresh dill
100 g sour cream

For the red amaranth filling

500 g red amaranth
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

For frying

150 ml oil

Preparation

1. Mix the yeast with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar. Pour in the lukewarm water, then add the flax seeds, flour and 3-4 tablespoons oil. Knead for 10 minutes, until you have an elastic dough, then cover it and leave it to rise for 60 minutes. 2. Remove the thick stems from the red amaranth, rinse the leaves under cold running water and chop them finely. 3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and sauté the amaranth for 12 minutes, until the water it releases has evaporated. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 4. Grate the telemea and mix it with the brânză de burduf, chopped dill and sour cream. 5. Divide the dough into 16 pieces, about the size of an apple. Roll out each piece, put filling on one half, then fold it over and press the edges together. 6. Gradually heat the frying oil in a pan, using no more than 150 ml. Fry each pie for about 4 minutes, 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer them to paper towels.

Notes

The dough contains gluten, and the cheese filling contains dairy. For a dairy-free version, fill all the pies with red amaranth. Young leaves are more tender; larger ones may need a few extra minutes to soften. After washing, drain them well so the water doesn't lengthen the sautéing time. If the telemea is very salty, leave it in cold water for 10 minutes and drain it before grating. Like stuffed flatbreads, they're easy to eat by hand, but the inside is softer than that of a plain flatbread. Serve them with plain yogurt or a green salad. Start the dough a little over three hours before the meal, and if you reduce the quantities, keep the pieces the same size. Once cooled, keep the pies in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.