| Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 30 mins – 40 mins | Difficulty: Moderate | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 475 | 29g | 5g | 46g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 7g | 3g | 9g | 0.40g |
Why I Love Romanian Plăcintă cu roșii
It excites me to bring to your attention one of my favorite recipes recently, a Romanian dish called Plăcintă cu roșii. This delightful dish has stolen my heart not only for its layered richness but also for its similarities to a few of my favorite Indian-American fusion dishes. This recipe is a beautiful mixture of delicious tomatoes, aromatic herbs, and welcoming flavors that comfort the soul – much like my own fusion cooking.
My Culinary Inspiration: Chef Horia Virlan
While I draw on my Gujarati roots and West Coast upbringing in many of my meals, the inspiration for this delightful Romanian dish did not arise in a vacuum. I owe my discovery and love for Plăcintă cu roșii to the renowned Romanian Chef Horia Virlan. His passionate focus on blending local, fresh ingredients in elucidating traditional Romanian cuisine has been an influential factor in my exploration of this culinary gem.
Marrying Cultures: Comparing Plăcintă cu roșii with Indian-American Fusion Dishes
Even though at first glance, a Romanian dish like Plăcintă cu roșii might seem vastly different from my usual flavors, I noted that it was similar to a mango pie, a beloved dish my mother would make during the warm Californian summers. The base involves kneading a simple dough and the filling is ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs. As I prepared this Romanian recipe, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between it and some of my favorite Indian-American fusion dishes – both combine familiar ingredients in an innovative way to create a comforting yet exciting final product. It is these cross-cuisine analogies that truly enrich my culinary journey and make me fall in love with recipes like Plăcintă cu roșii.
This dish pairs well with a crisp, green salad or a steaming bowl of vegetable soup. In fact, it reminded me of one of Faisal’s favorites – my roasted tomato soup. Just imagine having a slice of this Romanian pie with its slightly crispy crust, soft savory tomato filling, paired with my creamy and deeply flavored tomato soup. It creates a wonderful gastronomical symphony of tomato goodness that connects us to our kitchen, to our roots, and to each other.
Stay tuned for more of such international and fusion recipes. I promise they will be a jubilant party of flavors on your palate.
What You’ll Need
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup of warm water
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 6 large ripe tomatoes
- 2 finely chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Step One
Combine the all-purpose flour and salt in a large bowl. Then, create a well in the middle of your flour mixture.
Step Two
Pour the warm water and vegetable oil into the well. Beat one egg, and also pour it into the well.
Step Three
Using your hands, or a spatula if preferred, mix the ingredients together until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Knead the dough for an additional minute until it becomes smooth.
Step Four
Wrap the dough ball in a clean cloth or cling film and let it rest for about an hour.
Step Five
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Chop the ripe tomatoes, onions, dill, and parsley. Combine these in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
Step Six
When the dough has rested, divide it into equal-sized pieces and roll each piece out into a thin circle.
Step Seven
Spoon some of your tomato mixture onto each circle of dough, leaving a border around the edges. Fold the edges over the filling, pinching them together to seal.
Step Eight
In a large frying pan, heat the sunflower oil over medium heat. Fry each dough pocket on both sides until golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Drain on kitchen paper to get rid of extra oil.
Step Nine
While frying the last batch of dough pockets, beat the remaining two eggs with the sugar. Once the pockets are done, pour the egg mixture over them and fry for another two minutes or until the egg is cooked.
Step Ten
Finally, your Plăcintă cu roșii is ready! Serve hot, and enjoy this delicious savory treat!
