How to Make Pancakes: 12 Recipes

Dough dishes are familiar and loved in many national cuisines around the world. A special place is occupied by a variety of variations of pancakes and pancakes. And in some cases, the basis for the dish is not only flour, but also mashed vegetables. Lush, tender with a unique taste, pancakes will be a great breakfast, and in some cases, a festive dish.

What are fritters?

In the explanatory dictionary, they are soft, thick tortillas cooked in a frying pan. This dry definition absolutely does not convey the delight of their taste and the amazing aroma of muffins. The dish is characteristic of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian cuisine, but different variations are found literally all over the world.

If you start a thoughtful study of the history of the name, the roots will be found in ancient Greece, where it sounded like "eladion", that is, fried in oil. Later, the word was abbreviated, turning it into "ladki". Dahl's dictionary gives alternative names: fritters, oladki, thick pancakes.

Fritters are made for holidays and on weekdays - they are appropriate for any day. They can be puffy, yeasty, on sourdough, the so-called classic ones. But there are many recipes without yeast, where the natural acidity of the product, as in kefir, is combined with baking soda. Cooking them is simple, no special culinary skills are required. And the best part is that there is such a variety of recipes that they can not get bored for a long time, especially when also changing the serving of the dish.

How are fritters different from pancakes?

It would seem that the same ingredients in the classic version, the same frying pan and vegetable oil for frying. However, not only the appearance but also the taste is dramatically different, all fans of fritters or pancakes can assure. First of all - the size. It definitely matters. For a pancake, its diameter and thickness are important, especially in the case when you plan to wrap a filling in it. Fritters are mostly dipped in all sorts of goodies, such as jam, jam, cream, and so on, depending on personal taste preferences.

The next point of difference is the yeast in the recipe. It is not necessary, but more often they are used for puffed pancakes or pampushki. This section also includes the infusion of dough, in which it should increase its volume several times. This is why pancakes are poured with a ladle, and pancakes are taken carefully, from the edge, with a greased spoon, so as not to damage the structure of the dough.

And the most significant difference is in the products from which both dishes are made. One can hardly imagine pancakes made of liver or pumpkin. Maybe the kitchen gurus can create such a miracle, but why, when pancakes have long been invented for such an occasion. They are easy to eat and delight the eye, and imagination on the subject of cooking almost inexhaustible.

What are the benefits of fritters?

Probably at the head of the list logical to put aesthetic enjoyment of the dish. The crumbly, smooth and neat pancakes are a joy to the eye and make you salivate without reservation, which means you won't have any problems with your appetite. They quickly satiate, give energy and raise your mood. If we talk about vegetable-based, such a dish is recommended for the dietary table for many diseases, when you need shredded tender texture and freshness. It's hard to imagine anyone trying to heat up the pancakes or getting big, hard chunks of pumpkin or zucchini in them.

The next advantage is that the dish is almost completely hypoallergenic. The exception is individual intolerance to the components, but if you are allergic to lactose, you can always replace the base with water or switch to vegetable components.

There are also negative aspects of frequent consumption of the dish, but they lie in intemperance. If you eat a bowl of pancakes on yeast every day, dipping them in homemade sour cream or honey, you can say goodbye to your waistline and nod hello to your elevated blood sugar readings. But if you approach the matter with a healthy dose of practicality, then there will be no trouble and you can enjoy your favorite flavor with enviable regularity, not forgetting to try new ways of cooking.

How to make pancakes: recipes

In order not to be confused by the diversity, you must first determine which recipe you need: classic, vegetable, meat or author's, where the result is unpredictable, but the cooking process is extraordinarily interesting. Those who are just beginning to master the culinary art or yearn for the taste of childhood, when you did not need to stand at the stove, and to get your favorite treat was enough to ask your grandmother affectionately, it is recommended to start with the classics.

With milk

Lush and flavorful, they will make any tea party incredibly cozy. You can make them with or without yeast, but if you want them tall and puffy and with a tempting blush, you should make them with a sourdough starter. For the preparation you will need:

• milk - 3 cups;
• flour - 4 cups;
• eggs - 2 pcs;
• sugar and vegetable oil - 1 tbsp;
• dry baking yeast - 1 sachet;
• Salt on the tip of a knife.

At first you make a stew of milk, yeast, sugar and half the flour. It should be kneaded and put in a warm place, when it rises, stir once more, add the rest of the ingredients and again leave in the heat to rise again. Fry on a hot frying pan with a little vegetable oil on medium heat. Serve hot with sour cream, jam and other additions to taste.

On kefir

If there is no desire to fumble with yeast or if there is increased gas in the intestines, in which this type of dough is undesirable, the ingredient can easily be replaced by a combination of kefir and baking soda. You will need:

• kefir - 250 ml;
• eggs - 2 pcs;
• flour - 240 gr;
• sugar and vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
• salt - 2 gr;
• 1/4 tsp. soda.

The eggs are beaten with sugar until frothy, soda, butter and kefir are added to the mass. All ingredients must be at room temperature, if taken from the refrigerator, then the mass is gently heated with continuous stirring to 40 degrees. Then gradually the flour is introduced in portions. Do not leave the dough, cook the pancakes immediately, on a heated frying pan, greasing it with butter.

With sour cream

If there is nothing in the refrigerator except for half a jar of sour cream, and you want a delicious baking, then this ingredient will do quite well. In the composition:

• sour cream - 200 gr;
• 2 eggs - 2 pieces
• sugar - 1 tbsp;
• flour - 1 cup;
• soda - 1/4 tsp;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp.

If desired, you can add a bag of vanilla sugar. The ingredients are whipped with a whisk or mixer, soda is added last. Thickness - slightly more liquid than sour cream, adjusted by adding warm water or flour, respectively. For a more delicate consistency, you can mix in equal amounts of sour cream and milk, the total volume is maintained. Bake at once, in a skillet under a lid, over medium heat. For each side, 1.5 minutes is enough. The batter is spread with a tablespoon.

On ryazhenka

In principle, recipes on dairy products are very similar. We take the classic version on kefir, and simply change the base. The only requirement is not to leave the dough after kneading on the table, and bake the treat immediately, inviting the family for a hot meal.

With sour milk or whey

Fritters turn out light, breathable, melt in your mouth and do not fall off after baking. The secret is not only to follow the recipe, but also to bake the dough immediately, otherwise the reaction of sour milk product and baking soda quickly ends. For 300 grams of sour milk or whey you need 400 grams of flour, 2 eggs, 10 grams of sugar, half a teaspoon of baking soda. It is not necessary to carbonate it with vinegar.

You can also whip them with a blender, but in this case you have to add the baking soda just before baking. Portions are placed with a tablespoon on a hot frying pan with a little vegetable oil and immediately covered with a lid. It is better if the lid is transparent. You can clearly see through it, when the top of the pancakes will tighten a kind of film. This means that it is time to turn them.

With water

The recipe could be called ascetic, if the result would not be so delicious. These pancakes are more neutral in flavor and, like pancakes, can be eaten with salted fish, cheese or smoked sausage. The ingredients include:

• 1 cup flour;
• 3/4 cup warm water;
• 1 egg;
• 2 tbsp. sugar;
• 1/2 tsp. vinegar-quenched baking soda;
• 1 pinch of salt.

The ingredients are kneaded until homogeneous. You can replace the baking soda with yeast or leave the recipe unchanged. The dish is prepared quickly, can be combined with meat and sweet additions.

With beef, pork or chicken liver

An excellent alternative for those who do not really like this product, but a nutritionist insists on its inclusion in the menu. If slices in sour cream sauce do not tempt, it is quite possible to replace them with pancakes. For 0.5 kg of fresh liver of any kind will need:

• 1 egg;
• 2 tablespoons of semolina;
• 1 large onion;
• 1 potato;
• Salt and spices to taste.

Pre-soak the liver for about half an hour, drain the water, put the product in a colander to drain the excess liquid. Then the liver is minced with the onion. The remaining ingredients are added to the resulting mass, mixed thoroughly and the container with the mass is left for 10 minutes to swell the semolina. Then 1/3 tsp. of soda is added, stirred again and baked in a hot pan greased with vegetable oil.

If the layers of fritters are layered with fried carrots and onions, flavored with sour cream sauce with garlic, you get a great liver cake for the holiday table.

With zucchini

The dish belongs to the dietary, in a serving of 100 g. only 89 kcal. Ingredients:

• 2 small young zucchini;
• 1 large onion of any kind;
• 2 eggs;
• 4 tablespoons of flour with a pea;
• salt on the tip of a knife;
• black pepper to taste.

Zucchinis and onions are grated on a coarse grater, the rest of the ingredients are added to them, salt is added last, and immediately baked in a hot pan.

Important: The sooner you start baking, the less likely the zucchini will give juice.

In the last portion, where there is almost no vegetable pulp, you can add a little more flour or just bake a final thin pancake.

From pumpkin.

The recipe is an old one, found in cookbooks from the late 19th, early 20th century. To make it, you need:

• 400 g. pumpkin, cut into medium sized pieces;
• 150 gr. flour;
• 1 egg;
• 2 tablespoons sugar;
• soda on the tip of a knife;
• Oil for frying.

Pumpkin is boiled until soft, mashed into a puree, in which the other ingredients are added. A homogeneous dough of the consistency of thick sour cream is kneaded. Fry such pancakes on a hot pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Carrot dumplings are made in a similar way. Serve with sour cream.

From potatoes

For 5-6 medium-sized potatoes you need 2 eggs, flour, salt, vegetable oil and a little soda. Also 1 onion, dill and 2-3 cloves of garlic for spice. All the ingredients are chopped in a blender or rubbed with a fine grater and mixed thoroughly. Bake on a low heat. Exactly the same way cabbage pancakes are made.

With oatmeal or semolina

Cereals easily replace most of the flour, and the dish turns out light and dietary. The peculiarity of cooking is that it takes time for the base to swell, so the dough is prepared in advance. For a glass of oatmeal, 400 ml. of hot water is needed. It is poured and left for 15 minutes, then 100 grams of flour, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of sugar and soda or baking powder are added. To enrich the taste, you can add grated apple, cinnamon or banana. The semolina is kneaded immediately into the dough, but then stand for 10-15 minutes under a towel or cling film.

The mass is placed with a tablespoon on a hot pan with high edges, they are given an oval or round shape. Fry on medium heat.

With cottage cheese

A terrific combination of milk flavor, ginger and cinnamon awaits those who are not too lazy to make cottage cheese pancakes. The recipe is as simple as it is ingenious. You should take an egg, a banana of medium size, 3 tablespoons of rice or buckwheat flour (you can also use normal baking flour) and 1/3 spoonful of spices for 200 grams of soft cottage cheese. The mashed banana is mixed with the egg and spices, then the cottage cheese and flour are introduced there, one after another. The mass should turn out relatively homogeneous. It is covered with a spoon, you can fork a little on top to form grooves. Fry on both sides over low heat.

Each hostess approaches the classic recipes creatively, so you can add cheese, fruit, spices in various combinations. The main thing - to master the principle of cooking, and then you can turn on the imagination and experiment with flavors, adding to the piggy bank of family recipes.

Photo of pancakes