Chebureki

Even 5500 miles from Ukraine, it's still possible to enjoy some of the same foods : )

Tonight I've been thinking about chebureki, those tasty fried turnovers that I can never refuse to "sample" (by which I mean, of course, to devour 3 or 4 of them). In the Alaska days, D's mom would often make them for the family and I remember thinking they were soooo complicated to prepare. As her and I continue to bond over food though, a discovery has been made: the American-style cheburek is actually so easy to prepare that it's almost scandalous.

So I'm going to show you the process here and I know you'll be scratching your head too over my previous cheburek-preparing fear. Although honestly, back then even making blini was an intimidating idea, so +1 for a couple of years of life in Ukraine!

Ingredients:
Package of tortillas
The filling: Ground meat + preferred spices or cheese 
The usual mind-boggling amount of oil (for frying)

Step 1: Slightly dampen the tortilla with some water. Put a small amount of the filling on the tortilla, fold in half, press to seal.

Step 2: Add to the pre-heated frying pan. Be sure to stand back to avoid death by boiling oil.

Step 3: Fry for a few minutes- don't forget to flip them over!- until lightly browned on both sides. Serve immediately as they're tastiest while still piping hot.

Ta-da! Crazy simple, isn't it?

The biggest difference between these chebureki and the chebureki we ate in Ukraine is the dough. The mere store-bought tortilla can't compare to the fluffy masterpiece below-

- but that bag of tortillas is a heck of a lot cheaper than a 5500 mile plane ticket!

Have you tried chebureki before? Will you try making this version?