These crispy pan-fried Draniki have just 4 main ingredients and are the ultimate comfort food. Serve as a savory breakfast, as a snack, for lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.
Optional: ~1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs, such as dill, parsley, or green onion/chives
Instructions
Use the large grater on a box grater to grate the potatoes and the onion, and transfer everything to a large bowl. Drizzle with a few drops of lemon juice after every potato and mix together. This will help prevent the grated potatoes from browning.
Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a colander and use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. No need to go crazy here, but the mixture shouldn't be dripping wet.
Transfer the grated potato mixture back to the same bowl and stir in the egg, salt, and pepper. Add the flour and mix well. The mixture will be just a little goopy, and that's OK.
Heat a large skillet. Add ~1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan. The pan should not be completely covered in olive oil, but you'll want enough oil to make sure that the edges of the draniki are sizzling in oil if you're cooking 4-6 draniki at a time.
Carefully place a large rounded tablespoon of the draniki mixture into the hot pan and use the back of the spoon or a spatula to gently press down. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown. Use a spatula to carefully flip the draniki, press down again to flatten the draniki, and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the pan and place on a large plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or flavored sour cream. To make the flavored sour cream, combine all the ingredients together and adjust to taste with salt or lemon/lime juice.
Notes
I like to cook in 2 skillets at a time to make this go faster, but I don't recommend doing that until you get the hang of cooking draniki in one skillet, as they take a few minutes to get the heat just right. They cook fast, just like pancakes!Optional add-ins: ½ teaspoon garlic powder, paprika, ground cumin, fresh chopped scallions or chives.Air fryer instructions: Form small patties (~2 tablespoons of potato mixture) and flatten them with your hand. Place on an air fryer tray and spray with oil (don't skip this, otherwise the tops will burn!). Air fry at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through but not burned. You air fryer might require preheating, follow the manufacturer's instructions. I do not recommend air frying because the draniki do not turn out as good.To make gluten-free draniki just use a gluten-free 1:1 flour mix. The nutrition facts estimate assumes ~1 tablespoon of oil per pan to cook 4 draniki, and does not include sour cream. Actual calories and nutrition will vary based on your ingredients and cooking technique.