Vegetable Knish Recipe

Make the dough

In a large bowl whisk together 2.5 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Cut 6 tbs cold cubed butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

Beat 1 egg with 3 tbs water. Add egg mixture to the flour-butter mixture and gently mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork. Gather into a ball, flatten slightly into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes while preparing the filling.

Cook potatoes and broccoli

Place the cubed potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10–12 minutes. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pot to blanch them together. Drain well and let steam off.

Sauté aromatics

While potatoes cook, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup diced onion and sauté until translucent and lightly golden, about 5–6 minutes. Add 2 tsp minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Combine filling

Transfer drained potatoes and broccoli to a bowl and roughly mash, leaving some texture. Stir in the sautéed onions and garlic, 3 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. The filling should be creamy but not wet; if very wet, mash a bit more to bind or cook off excess moisture in the skillet for 1–2 minutes.

Prepare work surface and divide dough

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly flour a work surface. Remove dough from fridge and divide into 6 equal portions for hand-sized knishes (or 8 smaller). Keep portions covered so they don't dry.

Roll and fill

Roll each dough portion into a 5–6 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place about 3–4 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Gather the edges up around the filling and pinch to seal at the top, forming a round or oval parcel. If preferred, you can flatten the filled ball slightly into a patty shape so it bakes evenly.

Arrange and egg wash

Place knishes seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with beaten egg (from Finish section) and lightly brush with 1 tbs vegetable oil or melted butter for extra color. Sprinkle a little extra salt or chopped dill on top if desired.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 25–30 minutes for the larger knishes (or 18–22 minutes for smaller). If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

Make the roux

While knishes bake, melt 1 tbs butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1 tbs flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.

Finish the sauce

Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer until it thickens, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp chopped dill, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Keep warm; sauce will thicken as it cools—if too thick, thin with a splash of milk.

When knishes are golden, remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with extra chopped dill, and serve warm with the cheese-dill sauce spooned on the side or drizzled over each knish.