Draniki

Draniki (Belarusian Potato Pancakes)

Crisp, golden-edged pancakes of grated potato and onion, bound with a little flour and egg, served with cold sour cream. Belarus's national dish, traditionally eaten at every family meal.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4 (makes about 12 pancakes)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2¼ lb) starchy potatoes, russet or Yukon Gold; high starch is essential for crispness
• •1 large onion, yellow or white
• •1 large egg
• •30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt
• •1 g (¼ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil, sunflower or canola, for frying
• •200 g (¾ cup) sour cream, 18–20% fat, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and onion. Working quickly so the batter does not discolor or weep, grate them on the fine side of a box grater (or pulse in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade).
2. 2 Transfer the grated mixture to a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and squeeze firmly over the sink to extract as much liquid as possible. You should get about 150–200 ml of starchy liquid; discard it (do not rinse or drain further — the natural starch is what binds the pancakes).
3. 3 Tip the dry grated potato and onion into a mixing bowl. Add the egg, flour, salt, and pepper and stir just to combine. The batter should be loose and wet, not a stiff dough; if it weeps extra liquid while it sits, give it another quick squeeze before frying.
4. 4 Heat a heavy 25–28 cm skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until a shred of potato sizzles immediately on contact.
5. 5 Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan, spacing them about 5 cm apart, and flatten each with the back of the spoon to roughly 8–10 cm wide and 6 mm thick.
6. 6 Fry for 3–4 minutes on the first side, until the underside is deep golden and the edges look crisp and lacy. Flip carefully with a thin spatula and fry another 2–3 minutes on the second side until golden and cooked through.
7. 7 Doneness cue: the pancakes should be evenly browned on both sides and feel firm in the center when pressed, not spongy or wet. The internal temperature should reach at least 85 °C (185 °F). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.
8. 8 Serve immediately, hot, with a generous dollop of cold sour cream on each pancake. Traditionally accompanied by sliced black bread, pickled cucumbers, or a mushroom sauce (machanka).