Potato pancakes: step-by-step recipe with photos of a classic Ukrainian dish

Deruny – is a dish that has long become a classic of Ukrainian cuisine. Golden and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, deruny always evoke associations with a delicious and nutritious lunch or dinner in a cozy family circle.The name "deruny" comes from the word "derty," which means to grate potatoes, the main ingredient of the dish. Potatoes themselves only reached Eastern Europe in the 18th century and gradually began to replace millet or legumes. With the arrival of potatoes, deruny gained particular popularity among peasants, as this dish was nutritious, simple, and accessible.The basic recipe for deruny remains virtually unchanged, while the presentation and additions often vary depending on the region of Ukraine. For example, in the western regions, it is popular to add white mushrooms to the dish, while in the central regions – cracklings or sour cream. We chose to serve them with both sour cream and stewed white mushrooms, as we couldn't pick a favorite ;)

We wash and peel the potatoes. We peel the onion and garlic. All vegetables need to be grated on a fine grater. To avoid doing this manually, we used a food processor, which sped up this mechanical process (we spent only 4 minutes grating). For this, we cut the potatoes and onions into quarters.

We squeeze the grated vegetables to remove excess moisture, but this should be done without excessive effort to avoid overly drying our mixture.

We add the other ingredients. To the vegetable mixture, we add eggs, flour, salt, and pepper. We mix thoroughly to make the mixture homogeneous.

We heat the pan, add oil. Using a tablespoon, we place the potato mixture in the pan, forming small pancakes.

We fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

To remove excess fat, after frying, the ready deruny can be placed on paper towels. 

As we mentioned above, we decided to enjoy deruny with stewed white mushrooms and homemade sour cream. This gives them a special tenderness and exquisite taste. 

Cook for your pleasure!