Ukrainian Syrnyky - Cottage Cheese Pancakes

 Syrnyky, or syrniki, - are the traditional Ukrainian pancakes made of cottage cheese. There are savory and sweet options with raisins or grated carrots served with sour cream.

I don't know Ukrainians who don't like syrnyky! We usually have them for breakfast, but it is not forbidden to eat them at any time of the day. The first product every Ukrainian is searching for in a new country - is something like our traditional homemade cottage cheese. When I left my home at the beginning of the war and stayed in Montenegro, I couldn't find it there... And then, when I planned to move to Sweden, I checked if they had this cottage cheese in supermarkets first. And they do! So now I'm lucky to be able to cook any Ukrainian food with cottage cheese. 

Cottage cheese pancakes (Ukrainian: сирники)*

• 700 g cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoon sugar (45 g)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoon semolina (45 g)
• 3 tablespoon wheat flour (45 g)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• corn flour

* the recipe is for 14-15 pancakes

First of all, you need to choose the right cottage cheese. It should be crumbly and dry, without any "dressing" (cream or another). Now in Sweden, I use the Polish "twarog" which is almost like the Ukrainian homemade cottage cheese that we also call "творог" sometimes. It is usually formed in some kind of briquettes in soft plastic wrap. So if you choose the wrong product, you may end up with a shapeless mass in your pan...

Also, for a healthier option, you can replace the sugar with a sweetener according to its instruction (as I do). 

And before starting, you should steam the raisins with boiling water and drain the water after 10-15 minutes so that the raisins won't absorb liquids from the cheese dough.

Knead cottage cheese briquettes with potato beater until it becomes crumbly. Some recommend sifting it through the sieve, but it costs more time and effort, and I like to optimize the processes.

When the cottage cheese becomes crumby, add egg, sugar (or sweetener), and a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you wish. Mix it all together with a blender until it is smooth.

Add semolina, and mix it with a tablespoon or spatula, then add the wheat flour and mix again. The last step in preparing the dough is adding prepared raisins. The mixture is ready to be formed into pancakes!

Prepare the corn flour on a plate where you will form the pancakes. I use finely ground corn flour for breading. It gives syrnyky a beautiful golden color and rich aroma. But some people use regular wheat flour, and it also works well.

Take the amount of dough I show in the picture above (about a heaped tablespoon) and put it into the flour. Roll it over and form the pancake between the palms of your hands. When it is homemade, it shouldn't be perfectly round. 

Before forming the pancakes, preheat the pan to medium-low heat (about 4/10), and add some oil. I use sunflower oil, which is more common in Ukraine. Put the syrnyky in the pan one by one as you're making it, and fry them without a lid, and turn them when they become golden underneath.

Prepare yourself a cup of coffee while they are being made. Or tea for those who will have breakfast with you 🙂

Watch them until they become golden and crispy on both sides. It means they are ready!

Traditionally, we eat sweat syrnyky with topping such as sour cream, jam, or honey, and add some fresh or canned fruits, depending on the season. In some fancy restaurants in Odessa, they serve syrnyky with caramel sauce or a mix of sour cream with honey. Actually, syrnyky is some kind of indicator of a good restaurant in Ukraine. Wherever we traveled, we always ordered them in different parts of our country because it is the most delicious breakfast one can imagine. But it is another story.

I hope I could explain the nuances of preparing this heavenly dish. But of course, everything starts with the right cottage cheese and practice. I've been cooking syrnyky for 13 years already, and they were not such a success initially. So don't be afraid. Try them. They're worth it!

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