Authentic Ukrainian borscht with garlic buns: how to cook the national dish correctly

Borscht can be called a true calling card of Ukraine without exaggeration, as people from all over the world come to taste this dish. And no matter how many people say that borscht has no specific affiliation with the cuisine of a particular nation, we know that the dish found its perfect taste, which everyone tries to replicate, in Ukraine. And the following cooking idea confirms this.

The idea of cooking homemade borsch with garlic buns was published on the Instagram page of food blogger Valeria (yummy_pp_lera).

Ingredients for borscht (for 1.5-2 liters):

• meat - 200-250 g
• bay leaves, salt and pepper
• oil - 2-3 tbsp
• onion - 1 pc
• carrots - 1 pc
• beets - 1 pc
• tomato paste - 70 g
• sugar - 1 tsp
• lemon juice - 1 tsp
• water - 3-4 tbsp
• potatoes - 1 pc
• cabbage - 150-200 g

Ingredients for the starter:

• warm milk - 50 ml
• warm water - 100 ml
• dry yeast - 5 g
• sugar - 1 tsp

Ingredients for the dough:

• salt - 1/2 tsp
• egg - 0.5 pcs
• melted butter - 15 g
• flour - 250-300 g

Ingredients for the garlic sauce:

• melted butter - 60 g
• finely chopped herbs - a bunch
• chopped garlic - 4-5 cloves

Method of cooking borscht:

1. Cover the meat, bay leaf, salt and pepper with water and cook until tender (beef and pork - 60 minutes, chicken - 25 minutes).

2. Fry the finely chopped onion in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add grated carrots and beets and fry for a few more minutes. Add tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice, and water and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

3. Take out the meat and divide it into fibers.

4. Add the chopped potatoes to the broth and cook until half cooked.

5. Add the meat, roast, spices to taste and cook for a few minutes.

6. Add the finely chopped cabbage and turn off the heat to keep it crispy (you can cook for another 5-7 minutes to make it soft).

7. Cover the borscht and let it brew for at least 10 minutes.

8. Make the starter for the buns: combine milk, water, yeast and sugar and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes.

9. Make the dough: add salt, half an egg, butter, and the starter. Gradually sift in the flour and knead the dough. Leave it in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours.

10. Divide into 9 pieces, form into balls and place in a baking dish (17*17 cm).

11. Leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

12. Brush the buns with half of the remaining egg and bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

13. Grease the hot buns with a mixture of butter, garlic and herbs, cover the pan with cling film and then a towel and leave for 15-20 minutes (to make them soft).