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Oladyi
Kefir pancakes
Oladyi (Оладьи): small fluffy kefir pancakes with sour cream and jam
Saturday breakfast in a Soviet flat often began with the sizzle of oladyi: thick little pancakes, no bigger than a saucer rim, made from kefir that had soured a day too long. Grandmothers from Samara to Novosibirsk still drop spoonfuls of the batter into hot oil and stack the puffed, golden rounds on a plate to eat with smetana, honey or a dish of cherry varenye. Unlike blini they are fat and spongy, with a lacy crisp edge. The common mistake is beating the batter after the soda goes in, which knocks out the bubbles and gives flat, rubbery pancakes. Chef's tip: warm the kefir slightly before mixing; the soda reacts faster and the oladyi rise noticeably higher.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 2 cups kefirwarmed to lukewarm
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For frying
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
To serve
- 5 ½ oz smetana or sour cream
- 4 tbsp jam or honey (optional)optional
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Stir in 9 oz plain flour until you have a thick batter that falls slowly from the spoon in a ribbon, like thick sour cream. Add a spoon more flour if it runs.
3 minStep 3: Sprinkle 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda over the top and fold it in with a few strokes only. Leave for 5 minutes until the surface is full of small bubbles; don't stir again.
5 minStep 4: Heat a thin layer of 5 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons of batter, spaced apart, and fry for 2–3 minutes until the tops look dry at the edges and bubbles have burst, then turn and fry 1–2 minutes more until puffed and golden. Add oil between batches.
15 minStep 5: Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve hot with 5 ½ oz smetana or sour cream and 4 tbsp jam or honey.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does oladyi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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