~399 cal · 9g protein · 43g carbs · 21g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Oval rye pies with rice filling and crimped edges
🇫🇮 North Karelia
Karelian evacuees carried these pies west during the war, and all of Finland adopted them — they’re now in every bakery and grandmother’s freezer in the country. The crimped rye edge is the signature; the egg butter on top is the law.
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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 6 —
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1.5 cups + 1/2 cup rye flour + all-purpose flour (for the crust)
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1 cup short-grain rice
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4 cups whole milk (for the porridge)
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1/2 cup butter (brushing + egg butter)
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2 hard-boiled eggs (for egg butter)
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about 2/3 cup water
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1 tsp salt
Instructions
1
Cook the rice in the milk with salt, stirring often, 35 minutes into a thick porridge. Cool.
2
Knead the flours, water, and salt into a firm dough; divide into 12 and roll paper-thin ovals.
3
Spread porridge down each center and crimp the rye edges up and over in little pleats, leaving the filling exposed.
4
Bake at 475°F for 12–15 minutes until the edges spot brown. Brush all over with melted butter while hot.
5
Mash the eggs (or chickpeas) with the remaining soft butter and salt; serve the warm pies topped with it.
Karelian evacuee tradition, now national.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
North Karelia. Birthplace of the rye-crusted pies Finns eat everywhere.
🗺️
Finland. Rye, butter, and pies shaped like little boats.
🌍
Europe. Village recipes guarded for generations.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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