Karelian Pies

Nyt kesällä Suomessa ollessamme, T ihastui karjalanpiirakoihin. Mielestäni olen niitä kyllä syöttänyt aikaisemminkin, mutta mitään muistikuvaa ei kuulemma tästä kuitenkaan ollut. Kotiin tultuamme mietin josko uskaltaisin koettaa kyseisten piirasten tekoa ihan itse täällä länsi-Lontoon pikku-keittiössä. Sain kun sainkin äidiltä reseptin (minkä sitten kylläkin hukkasin ja käytin lopulta HS:n sivuilta löytynyttä ohjetta...) ja lähdin metsästämään ruisjauhoja. Ja yllättävän helposti niitä sitten löytyikin!

Vaikka itse sanon niin kyllä näistä tuli tosi hyviä. Rypytys nyt meni vähän niin ja näin, mutta ihan ok minun mielestä ensikertalaiselle. Ja ehkä ensi kerralla laitan mukaan hieman vehnäjauhoja ruisjauhojen sekaan jotta taikinasta ei tule niin... ruista? Dippasin piirakat vielä paiston jälkeen maito-voi-seoksessa ja pyöräytin seuraksi perinteisen munavoin. Harmi vain että T on tämän viikon työmatkalla, ja "jouduin" nauttimaan piirakoista ihan itsekseni. Jospa niitä pari jää vielä pakkaseen niin saa matkalainen sitten maistella josko ne maistuvat yhtä hyviltä kuin lomalla.

Back in the days an area called Karelia was part of Finland. This is located in the South-East from Finland, between Finland and Russia. When Finland lost the war against Russia at WW2, part of the war payments included Karelia to be given to Russia. Most of the people had to move to Finland then and sadly they were only allowed to go back and see their homes after the Soviet Union collapsed. Obviously many of them never saw that day, and this matter has always been very talked in Finland. Around 1970's and 80's there were political campaigns to try to get the area back to Finland.

My grandmother's family was from that area. The things that reminded me of that with her was the way that she talked, specific dialect, as well as the most delicious Karelian Casserole that she cooked for us. There are also little pies called Karelian Pies which are from there. When we were visiting Finland this summer, T fell in love with them. I'm sure I've given him some before, but apparently this is not the case. These pies are made of rye flour, filled with salty rice pudding and served with eggy butter. Sounds a bit bonkers, but I guarantee, they are lovely.

Karelian Pies

Pastry:

2,5 dl water

5-6 dl rye flour

1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

2,5 dl water

20g butter

2 dl short grain rice

7 dl milk

1/2 tsp salt

Dipping sauce:

2dl milk

20g butter

Boil the water, butter and the rice together for 10 minutes or so. Add the milk and salt and let it simmer until rice is cooked, and you have a nice consistency of rice pudding. Let it cool. Mix together the pastry ingredients and mix until you have a firm ball which is not sticking to the bowl. Create a long sausage from the dough and cut it into 50 little pieces or so.

Cover the pieces with a cloth so they won't dry out. Roll the pieces into round shapes with a rolling pin, put a spoonful of rice pudding in the middle and then pinch the sides together.

Bake in the oven with the hottest temperature about 15-20 minutes. For the dipping sauce warm the milk and butter and as soon as the pies come out from the oven, dip them quickly to the dipping sauce and leave to cool.

The pies are always eaten with an eggy butter which you make by chopping couple of hard boiled eggs and mixing them to a soften butter. Spread this on the pies. Delicious!