Throughout Russia and other post-Soviet countries, the term belyashi (singular: belyash) refers to the meat-filled peremech.
This word appeared in Russian in the second half of the 20th century and may derive from another Tatar word, bәleş, which denotes a full-sized baked pie with meat and potato filling.
The belyashi are fried pies made from leavened* or unleavened dough, filled with raw minced beef and onions, seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and salt, with a small hole on top.
Nowadays, they are considered part of the Russian culinary tradition but originate from the Tatar and Bashkir cuisines of the Volga region, where they are known as peremech (or peremyach).
Most Tatars live in the Russian region of Tatarstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, China, Romania, and Bulgaria.
They are traditionally served with broth, qatiq (yogurt) or ayran.
In Finland, they are known as pärämätsi and first appeared in Tampere in the 1960s.
*The dough used is the same as:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 15 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying, Air frying
- Cuisine: Russian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
For the dough, check the recipe for Russian Pirozhki on the blog.
- 2 lbs g ground beef (or mixed)
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
To prepare the filling, combine the minced meat with the onions, season with salt and pepper, and add the chopped garlic. Mix, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
For the dough, follow the recipe for Russian Pirozhki on the blog, omitting the sugar and adding the salt.
Then transfer the dough to a well-oiled surface like a baking sheet and divide the dough into 14 equal pieces, forming dough balls. Keep your hands well oiled as well to prevent the dough from sticking.
Roll each ball to create flat circles about 4 inches
Divide the meat filling and place it in the center of each dough circle.
Fold the edges over the filling and pinch with your fingers, leaving a small round hole in the center (about 0.5″-0.75″ wide).
In a large skillet, heat plenty of vegetable oil. The oil should be no less than 3/4 deep so that the belyashi can float.
When the oil is very hot, add the belyashi with the hole facing down.
Cook the pies until they are golden on the bottom, then flip them with a spatula. Cook them on the other side until golden.
You can prepare them by frying them in an air fryer – at 392 degrees for 45 minutes – above in video with some tips on how to use it best.
And purchase the Cosori air fryer on the website with a 15% discount using my discount code: ViaggiandoMangiando15.
And prepare the accompanying yogurt with a yogurt maker.
To delve into the Tatar history.
