Mushroom and Broccoli Pie

Name: Mushroom and Broccoli Pie
Ingredients: 200 ml kefir (or plain yogurt); 120 g flour; 2 eggs; 200 g broccoli (fresh or frozen); 200 g mushrooms (cremini mushrooms); 100 g onion; 1/2 tsp slaked baking soda; salt; pepper; vegetable oil for frying

A delicious, hearty savory pie with mushrooms and broccoli. I already have a similar pie on the site — Cabbage and Carrot Pie. This time I decided to experiment with the filling and used sautéed cremini mushrooms with onion and broccoli. It turned out absolutely delicious — every bit as good as the cabbage and carrot version I mentioned. By the way, for this pie it's better to use baking soda rather than baking powder. I've tried both, and the difference is truly noticeable. Many sources say that if the batter contains kefir or yogurt, baking soda is the better choice and doesn't need to be slaked. I partly agree — when the batter has a large amount of kefir or yogurt, as in this pie, that is indeed the best approach. However, in my opinion, you should still slake the baking soda, because it's very hard to judge exactly how much soda a particular pie needs and whether the acidity of the batter will be enough to neutralize it. If it isn't, the finished bake can have a soda aftertaste, which can completely ruin the flavor of any pie. If you're not a fan of broccoli, feel free to substitute frozen green beans, frozen green peas, or other similar vegetables.

Ingredients:

200 ml kefir (or plain yogurt)
120 g flour
2 eggs
200 g broccoli (fresh or frozen)
200 g mushrooms (cremini mushrooms)
100 g onion
1/2 tsp slaked baking soda
salt
pepper
vegetable oil for frying

How to cook mushroom and broccoli pie

Peel the onion and dice it finely.

Wash the mushrooms and cut them into small pieces.

Heat vegetable oil well in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent.

Add the mushrooms and cook until all the released liquid has evaporated. At the end, season generously with salt and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Break the broccoli into florets and drop them into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil quickly and cook for 1 minute. Drain immediately and transfer the broccoli to a colander.

Combine the kefir (or yogurt), eggs, and salt (I used 1/2 tsp) in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Add the slaked baking soda and flour, and stir to combine.

Grease a baking pan with oil (my pan is 21x14 cm). Pour in roughly half of the batter, then spread the mushrooms and onion evenly on top.

Arrange the broccoli on top of the mushroom layer.

Pour the remaining batter over everything in a thin, steady stream, trying to cover all the broccoli. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for approximately 40–60 minutes.