Draniki is a type of pancake that is made from potatoes. This nourishing breakfast dish has been prepared in Belarus since the 19th century when potatoes were the main agricultural crop. In the past, Draniki was prepared using only three ingredients; potatoes, onion, and salt but as time passed, more modern recipes have been developed.

Directions for Preparing Draniki

1. Peel the skins off each of the potatoes and rinse in cold water
2. Remove the skin of the onion and grate on the fine side of the grater
3. Grate the peeled potatoes using the fine side of the grater.
4. Place the grated potato into a strainer and drain off any excess liquid.
5. Combine the grated onion and potatoes in a bowl
6. Beat the egg separately before adding it to the onion and potato mixture
7. Sprinkle adequate salt and black pepper
8. If the mixture contains excess liquid and appears to be runny, add a couple of tablespoons of flour.
9. Heat four tablespoons of the vegetable or sunflower oil in a wide shallow skillet.
10. Spoon some of the pancake mixtures into the skillet, forming it into a circular shape. Pancakes should be about ¼ inch thick.
11. Fry on high heat. After two minutes, flip the pancake and allow the other side to cook
12. Depending on the size of the skillet, two or three pancakes can be cooked at the same time.
13. When half of the pancake mixture is finished, add the remaining tablespoons of oil and continue cooking the rest of the Draniki.
14. Place the cooked Draniki on absorbent paper after frying so excess oil can be absorbed.
15. Plate and serve with a large dollop of sour cream.

Belarusian cuisine consists mainly of vegetables, meat (particularly pork), and bread. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. Typically, Belarusians eat a light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day.

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