29 Replies to “Cepelinai – Plant Based Eastern Europe”
RECIPE 👇
For this series, I’ve chosen to group the Baltics, Balkans, and Caucasus under the broader "Eastern European" term because of their shared historical ties and culinary traditions. While these regions are geographically and culturally distinct—the Baltics are technically Northeastern Europe, Czechia and Poland often identify as Central European, the Balkans are a unique region, and Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are part of the South Caucasus—they are connected through a common history.
While I understand why some don’t want to be called "Eastern European" given its historical baggage and stereotypes—I’ve felt that way too in the past—I’ve come to see it differently. Lithuania, like many others in the region, is no longer defined by outdated stereotypes tied to its past. Each country’s progress and growing sense of identity are paving the way out of these negative associations, allowing them to redefine what "Eastern European" means.
Cepelinai
Ingredients (makes 3 portions, 6 dumplings)
Filling:
120g dried brown lentils 1 onion 4 garlic cloves 1 tbsp coriander powder 1 tsp salt 70g water 2 tsp potato starch Salt and pepper
Potato dough:
500g starchy/mehligkochend potatoes (to be cooked) 1100g stachy potatoes (raw) 40g potato starch (2 heaped tbsp) 1 tsp salt (heaped)
Topping:
2 onion A handful of dried shiitake Salt Sour cream Dill
Method: Prepare the filling: 1. Soak the lentils overnight or in boiling water for 2 hours. Do the same for dried mushrooms for garnish if using. 2. In a food processor blend the lentils, onion, garlic coriander and salt until fine. 3. Fry everything in a pan for around 10 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Mix the cornstarch with water and pour it into the pan. Adjust the seasoning.
Make the topping: 1. Finely chop the onion and fry over medium heat with a generous amount of oil until translucent. 2. Chop the mushroom, add it to the onions and fry until the onion turn golden.
Prepare the dough: 1. Boil the potatoes and let them cool. 2. For raw potatoes, put them in a blender (don’t use a food processor because it won’t blend it smooth enough). Blend until it resembles a potato smoothie. 3. Pour the potato smoothie into a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel over a bowl. Squeeze and drain but don’t drain too dry. Set the potato juices aside and let the starch settle on the bottom. 4. Mash the boiled potatoes until no lumps are left. Add the raw potatoes, starch and salt. Mix until combined.
Assemble: 1. Take around 3 tbsp of the potato dough into your palm and make a flat pancake. Add some of the filling, close and shape into a zeppelin. Cover slightly with potato starch. Slightly wet your hand with water to prevent the dough from sticking but you might need to wash your hands in between a few cepelinai, otherwise it will break apart while shaping. 2. In a large pot, boil water with a generous amount of salt. Once It’s boiling, gently drop in cepelinai and simmer for around 10 minutes. 3. Serve with sour cream dill and the onion-shiitake topping.
I mean…you do not need to turn it plant based. There is 3 versions of stuffing: meat(most popular), curd cheese and wild mushrooms. Even my great grandma would do wilth mushrooms, and yes, that version is not restaurant one, but still.Now I feel like making it….mmm.
It looks a bit like papas rellenas from South America
That looks soo good. ❤
These are special in my family, too. Here the mothers loved them. They are gianormeous, traditionally filled with minced, seasoned meat from pork. The dough ist Made from half raw, grated potatoes, half cooked ones, salt, egg, potatoe starch and cooked in water. They are served with that Kloßwasser and rosted onions. We had them on a weekday. Fridays we're reserved for fish, Saturdays for a soup and sundays for a beefdish. Sorry in the past people had meat. They we're something special. ❤
I wanna say "pls do Bulgaria", but at this point I don't even know what our national dish is 😭
This looks lovely but I am not allowed to eat meals woth less than 50% meat 😢😢😢
Omg I chocked when you said "eat it with ketchup". I hope I never have to witness that irl
You are definitely going to hit 1 million one day – all we have to do is let the time pass 🫶🏼
I remember eating in in Bieszczady amazing af
Looks like those weird with pork crust filled things they also make in austria
Make plant based "knedlo vepřo zelo", pls
Eastern European food is soooo underrated !! From a vegan household, thank you for your content !!!
Sending love from Latvia ❤ Brāļuki 🇱🇻🤝🇱🇹
Sry but it's not plant based.
These are identical to the polish "pyzy"
Hey i really like your videos! You are so creative with cooking!
Oh dear I never knew you were Lithuanian! It's crazy coincidence that one day around a year ago I just randomly found a Cepelinai recipe and made it (I'm Asian). I totally did disgrace to the dish and the outer potato shell was falling apart but it tasted delicious ❤ I shared with my family and they all loved it. I thought I must reattempt the recipe one day, but I ended up forgetting until this video. Now it seems like a good idea to make it this weekend. Hopefully I will have more success this time!
Bet the northern german dish were Knödel 😉
As a lithuanian, I don't see how foreigners could think these look good 😂
Yeeeees ❤❤❤
As a vegetarian who loves Eastern European food, I totally think that you should make a cookbook 🙂
I think it's called aalo ki tikki here in India 😅
😮 Look at that potatoes
These look amazing.
But, what if you added a little vinegar, sugar, and salt? But to make sure the flavor spreads and integrates well, use a little tomato paste and water. You could even simmer the tomato on the stove top, mix in the other ingredients, pulse it with a stabmixer, and put it all in a bottle for later.
I’m a little confused, doesn’t the sour cream make it not plant-based?
Look, I love you, but Balkaners are SUPER particular about their traditional foods. Be careful not to offend anyone, or consider removing comments that start an argument because my God. I just read through a comment thread where Balkaners were arguing over the classification of burek and it was not pretty. Maybe play it safe and make sarma or something 😂
I won't eat it with ketchup, but these things are absolutely begging for AJVAR!
Mashing up potaoes to make it a potato again from the mash 👌🏻 Seeing the dish, I would get exited, thinking its a regular ol potatoe that i can mash up, to make a new one out of but then i would be disappointed because its already a poatato made from mashed up potatoes 💁🏻♂️
RECIPE 👇
For this series, I’ve chosen to group the Baltics, Balkans, and Caucasus under the broader "Eastern European" term because of their shared historical ties and culinary traditions. While these regions are geographically and culturally distinct—the Baltics are technically Northeastern Europe, Czechia and Poland often identify as Central European, the Balkans are a unique region, and Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are part of the South Caucasus—they are connected through a common history.
While I understand why some don’t want to be called "Eastern European" given its historical baggage and stereotypes—I’ve felt that way too in the past—I’ve come to see it differently. Lithuania, like many others in the region, is no longer defined by outdated stereotypes tied to its past. Each country’s progress and growing sense of identity are paving the way out of these negative associations, allowing them to redefine what "Eastern European" means.
Cepelinai
Ingredients (makes 3 portions, 6 dumplings)
Filling:
120g dried brown lentils
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt
70g water
2 tsp potato starch
Salt and pepper
Potato dough:
500g starchy/mehligkochend potatoes (to be cooked)
1100g stachy potatoes (raw)
40g potato starch (2 heaped tbsp)
1 tsp salt (heaped)
Topping:
2 onion
A handful of dried shiitake
Salt
Sour cream
Dill
Method:
Prepare the filling:
1. Soak the lentils overnight or in boiling water for 2 hours. Do the same for dried mushrooms for garnish if using.
2. In a food processor blend the lentils, onion, garlic coriander and salt until fine.
3. Fry everything in a pan for around 10 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Mix the cornstarch with water and pour it into the pan. Adjust the seasoning.
Make the topping:
1. Finely chop the onion and fry over medium heat with a generous amount of oil until translucent.
2. Chop the mushroom, add it to the onions and fry until the onion turn golden.
Prepare the dough:
1. Boil the potatoes and let them cool.
2. For raw potatoes, put them in a blender (don’t use a food processor because it won’t blend it smooth enough). Blend until it resembles a potato smoothie.
3. Pour the potato smoothie into a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel over a bowl. Squeeze and drain but don’t drain too dry. Set the potato juices aside and let the starch settle on the bottom.
4. Mash the boiled potatoes until no lumps are left. Add the raw potatoes, starch and salt. Mix until combined.
Assemble:
1. Take around 3 tbsp of the potato dough into your palm and make a flat pancake. Add some of the filling, close and shape into a zeppelin. Cover slightly with potato starch. Slightly wet your hand with water to prevent the dough from sticking but you might need to wash your hands in between a few cepelinai, otherwise it will break apart while shaping.
2. In a large pot, boil water with a generous amount of salt. Once It’s boiling, gently drop in cepelinai and simmer for around 10 minutes.
3. Serve with sour cream dill and the onion-shiitake topping.
I mean…you do not need to turn it plant based. There is 3 versions of stuffing: meat(most popular), curd cheese and wild mushrooms. Even my great grandma would do wilth mushrooms, and yes, that version is not restaurant one, but still.Now I feel like making it….mmm.
It looks a bit like papas rellenas from South America
That looks soo good. ❤
These are special in my family, too. Here the mothers loved them. They are gianormeous, traditionally filled with minced, seasoned meat from pork. The dough ist Made from half raw, grated potatoes, half cooked ones, salt, egg, potatoe starch and cooked in water. They are served with that Kloßwasser and rosted onions. We had them on a weekday. Fridays we're reserved for fish, Saturdays for a soup and sundays for a beefdish. Sorry in the past people had meat. They we're something special. ❤
I wanna say "pls do Bulgaria", but at this point I don't even know what our national dish is 😭
This looks lovely but I am not allowed to eat meals woth less than 50% meat 😢😢😢
Omg I chocked when you said "eat it with ketchup". I hope I never have to witness that irl
You are definitely going to hit 1 million one day – all we have to do is let the time pass 🫶🏼
I remember eating in in Bieszczady amazing af
Looks like those weird with pork crust filled things they also make in austria
Make plant based "knedlo vepřo zelo", pls
Eastern European food is soooo underrated !! From a vegan household, thank you for your content !!!
Sending love from Latvia ❤ Brāļuki 🇱🇻🤝🇱🇹
Sry but it's not plant based.
These are identical to the polish "pyzy"
Hey i really like your videos! You are so creative with cooking!
Oh dear I never knew you were Lithuanian! It's crazy coincidence that one day around a year ago I just randomly found a Cepelinai recipe and made it (I'm Asian). I totally did disgrace to the dish and the outer potato shell was falling apart but it tasted delicious ❤ I shared with my family and they all loved it. I thought I must reattempt the recipe one day, but I ended up forgetting until this video. Now it seems like a good idea to make it this weekend. Hopefully I will have more success this time!
Bet the northern german dish were Knödel 😉
As a lithuanian, I don't see how foreigners could think these look good 😂
Yeeeees ❤❤❤
As a vegetarian who loves Eastern European food, I totally think that you should make a cookbook 🙂
I think it's called aalo ki tikki here in India 😅
😮 Look at that potatoes
These look amazing.
But, what if you added a little vinegar, sugar, and salt? But to make sure the flavor spreads and integrates well, use a little tomato paste and water. You could even simmer the tomato on the stove top, mix in the other ingredients, pulse it with a stabmixer, and put it all in a bottle for later.
I’m a little confused, doesn’t the sour cream make it not plant-based?
Look, I love you, but Balkaners are SUPER particular about their traditional foods. Be careful not to offend anyone, or consider removing comments that start an argument because my God. I just read through a comment thread where Balkaners were arguing over the classification of burek and it was not pretty. Maybe play it safe and make sarma or something 😂
I won't eat it with ketchup, but these things are absolutely begging for AJVAR!
Mashing up potaoes to make it a potato again from the mash 👌🏻 Seeing the dish, I would get exited, thinking its a regular ol potatoe that i can mash up, to make a new one out of but then i would be disappointed because its already a poatato made from mashed up potatoes 💁🏻♂️