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Lenten Potato Draniki in a Skillet without Eggs
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes (500 g). Choose the right starchy variety. Young potatoes with little starch are not suitable – draniki without eggs will fall apart. Wash and peel the potatoes thoroughly, then rinse again under cold water.
Now grate the potato on a grater. A coarse grater gives the characteristic crispy draniki with potato "shavings"; a fine grater gives softer pancakes, more like blini. I use a coarse grater for the classic Belarusian version. Grate the potato quickly so it does not darken from oxidation. If the potato is very juicy, a lot of liquid will collect in the grated mass; lightly squeeze it by hand over a bowl. Do not pour out the squeezed juice – set it aside for a while, and then add the starchy sediment from the bottom back into the mass. If the potato did not release much juice, squeezing is not strictly necessary.
Keep the potato juice you squeezed out – this is where the "magic" happens. Leave the bowl of juice for 5 minutes: a white sediment will begin to settle on the bottom. This is the potato starch, the natural "glue" for draniki without eggs. After 5 minutes, carefully pour off the clear liquid on top, trying not to disturb the sediment, and add the white starch from the bottom back into the main potato mass. If the potato turned out to have little starch, it is not a problem – add an extra 1 teaspoon of bought potato starch to the mass to be sure.
Salt the potato mass (½ tsp.) and add ground black pepper to taste. If you like, add other spices – for example, khmeli-suneli or dry ground garlic for extra flavour. Mix thoroughly.
Add the flour (1 tbsp. = 25 g) – an extra binding ingredient – and mix until homogeneous. If the mass is still too liquid and spreads in the pan, add another 1 tbsp. of flour and mix. The finished mass should be like a thick porridge that holds its shape when squeezed in your fist.
Heat the frying pan over medium heat and pour in the oil (3 tbsp.). The pan should be well heated – a drop of the mass should sizzle on contact. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter and place it in the hot pan as small rounds about 7–8 cm across, leaving 2–3 cm between them. Flatten each round with the spoon or a spatula so that you get thin, crispy draniki rather than thick fritters – about 0.5 cm thick.
Fry the draniki over medium heat for 1–2 minutes on one side – the lacy thin edges should brown to golden. Do not turn them too early: draniki without eggs may fall apart if the crust has not formed fully. Then carefully turn each one over with a silicone spatula and fry the other side for another 1–2 minutes until golden as well.
Grated potato absorbs some of the oil while frying. To make the draniki less greasy, transfer them straight from the pan onto a plate lined with paper napkins to soak up the excess oil. Fry the whole batch this way in portions of 5–6 draniki at a time.The lenten potato draniki without eggs are ready! Serve them hot, sprinkled with freshly chopped dill or parsley. On strict fasting days serve them without sour cream; otherwise, top them generously with 20% sour cream or a lenten alternative (soy sour cream, oat sauce). They are perfect as a dish on their own or as a side to lenten soups. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Be sure to save the potato starch from the juice – it is the natural "glue" that replaces eggs in lenten draniki.
- 2
Use starchy potatoes – young potatoes with little starch will not hold their shape.
- 3
Flatten the rounds thinly with a spatula for crispy draniki; thick ones turn out like fritters. I make pumpkin and potato draniki without eggs on a similar principle.
- 4
Fry on a well-heated pan – a cold pan gives "boiled" draniki without the characteristic crispy crust.
FAQ
How can I make the draniki even crispier? +
A few proven techniques for maximum crispness. Thin thickness: flatten the draniki to about 0.5 cm – thin ones are crispier than thick ones. Hot oil: the oil should sizzle when a drop of the mass touches it. Do not cover with a lid: a lid traps steam and the draniki turn out "boiled", without a crust. Double coating: dip the shaped dranik in flour before frying for an extra crispy crust. Higher heat: fry on a heat a little above medium, but not on maximum, or they will burn. Less oil, but hotter: a thin layer of very hot oil gives a better crunch than a thick layer of moderately warm oil.
What can I use instead of flour in lenten draniki? +
Suitable options are: extra potato starch (1 tsp. instead of 1 tbsp. of flour – gives a more "transparent" crispy crust), corn starch (1 tbsp., gluten-free), rice flour (1 tbsp., gluten-free and softer), buckwheat flour (1 tbsp. for a "Russian" flavour), flax flour (½ tbsp. + 1 tbsp. water to bind like an egg) or chickpea flour (1 tbsp. for a vegan version with protein). For a classic crispy lenten dranik, the best replacement is extra starch. Each option gives its own character; wheat flour is the all-round classic with the best binding ability.
How long do lenten draniki keep? +
Lenten draniki without eggs keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. On the second day they lose a little crispness – before serving, reheat them in a dry frying pan without oil for 1–2 minutes per side, or in the oven for 3 minutes at 150°C to bring back the crust. Do not reheat them in the microwave, or they will go completely soft. You can freeze the cooked draniki for up to 1 month in airtight bags with parchment between the layers – before serving, thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes and warm them in a frying pan. Do not freeze the raw mass, as the potato will darken.
What can I serve with lenten draniki? +
Lenten serving (without dairy): with soy sour cream (for vegans), oat sauce, a garlic sauce made from vegetable oil + garlic + lemon juice, homemade tomato sauce, a fruity pear or apple chutney, hummus or an avocado sauce (avocado purée + lemon juice). Non-lenten serving (for a less strict fast): with 20% sour cream and herbs (the classic), Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Serve them as a dish on their own for a lenten breakfast or supper, or as a side – to lenten soups (lenten borscht, mushroom soup) or to baked fish (if the fast permits fish). To drink – compote, mors, kvass or herbal tea.
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