Draniki

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin: Belarus

Description

Traditional Belarusian potato pancakes grated finely, seasoned simply, fried until crisp, and served with sour cream.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served piping hot with dollops of sour cream, mushroom sauce, or fried salt pork bits.

Ingredients

• 6 large Russet potatoes, peeled

• 1 small yellow onion

• 1 large egg

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (for frying)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Sour cream (for serving)

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Grate Vegetables: Using the fine side of a box grater, grate potatoes and onion into a bowl (the onion prevents potatoes from browning).

2. Drain Excess Liquid: Place grated mixture into a cheesecloth and squeeze out excess liquid, leaving starch in the bowl.

3. Mix Batter: Combine squeezed potato mixture with egg, flour, salt, and pepper.

4. Fry Pancakes: Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Drop spoonfuls of batter, flattening into patties.

5. Cook: Fry for 3–4 minutes per side until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with sour cream.

Optional

• Meat Filling: Sandwich a thin layer of cooked ground pork between two layers of potato batter before frying (Machanka style).

Cooking Tips

• Use Starch: Allow drained potato juice to settle; discard water and scrape white settled starch back into batter for crispiness.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)

• Calories: ~290 kcal

• Total Fat: 14g

• Saturated Fat: 2.5g

• Cholesterol: 50mg

• Sodium: 260mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 36g

• Dietary Fiber: 4g

• Sugars: 2g

• Protein: 6g