Blini – Traditional Russian Thin Pancakes

Blini or thin Russian blini - are tiny, yeast-leavened, buckwheat pancakes. Classically they are served with sour cream, red caviar, jam, syrup or can be stuffed with meat, rice and other food.

Today, we will use a simple version of Blini. Traditional Russian Blini will need more time and effort for preparation. My grandmother usually was starting preparing day before the cooking. But this version will save you lot’s of time and still taste grate. You will have Blini in just 20-25 minutes.

Blini ingredients: Flour, Milk, Eggs, Salt, Sugar, Buttermilk

Ingredients: For 20-22 blini.
As you can see on the picture you just need:
All-purpose Flour – 6 (big salad) spoons
Milk – 2 and half glass
Eggs – 3 big
Salt – one pinch or your taste
Sugar – 4 teaspoons
Buttermilk – half a glass or slightly more for your taste
Kefir – for Russian buttermilk – small family secret, will give you a special test for Blini, especially if you will use a fruit buttermilk like peach or strawberry. You can add it to the regular buttermilk.

Step#1
In a medium size bowl poor 6 fool spoons of All-purpose flour.

Step#2
Add 2.5 cup of milk.

Step# 3
Add 3 eggs.

Step# 4
Beat well to mix all ingredients.

Step#5
Add 3-4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on your taste).

Step#6
Add a pinch of salt (depends on your taste).

Step#7
Add 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil.

Step#8
And finally ½ cup of buttermilk (remember, if you like sweeter and fruity taste, add fruit buttermilk).

Step# 9
Like a Step#4 mix the ingredients well – until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Remember, the better you mix the ingredients, the better blini will be. Just make sure there are no flour lumps in your mixture.

TIP: I use a back of a ladle to mash all the lumps. Trust me they will disappear very fast.

If the mass is too thick or sticky you need more milk. You can also add a lit bit more buttermilk. Milk - you can add as much as you feel you need to get very smoothie mass and thin blini.

Heating a skillet and adding oil on skillet

Step# 10
Preheat a 10”or 12” fry pan to medium-high heat.
Add 6-8 drops of vegetable or canola oil to the fry pan.
Rub it all around so your blintsi will not stick to the pan.
!!!Make sure you add oil before cooking each blini!!!

Adding prepared mass onto heated skillet

Step#11

Take a ladle or a regular cup. Dip it into your mixture.
For one thin and big blini you need 2/3 of a cup, or almost fool ladle of mixture.

Poor the mass onto fry pan. It will help, if you poor it on one side of a pan.
Poor it very quickly. Don’t forget your pan is very hot.

Step#12
Spread the mass very quickly over fry pan by moving pan in circular motion.
Do not be afraid, even if you can not do it well the first time, you will get it second time. There is a famous Russian saying: “First blini always the ugly one”.
Your next one will be better looking and rounder. And even if they are all ugly, they still will taste great!!!

Step# 13
As soon as your mass is on the frying pan adjust your burner to a medium heat.
Very high temperature will burn it. We needed a high heat just to warm up the pan.
Cook it on one side until it gets a nice light golden brownish color or edges start to brown and lightly curl – usually takes 1 minute.

Step# 14
As soon as one side become ready flip it over. You will ask HOW?
Slide a spatula carefully under the Blini and flip it over with one movement.
Trust me it’s easier then it’s sounds.

Step# 15
Cook the other side until it is slightly golden. Usually about 40seconds.
Don’t go far! Blini will burn as soon as you turn your back. Every 10 seconds, take one edge of the blini with a spatula and raise it to see if it’s a nice color. If it’s getting dark you over cooked it and it will taste very dry.

Step#16
Use a big flat plate for your cooked blini; stack Blini one on top of each other.
To keep them warm. You can also use a non-salted butter to rub it in each cooked blini.
It will keep them moist and tasty.

Step#17
Serve Blini with a jam or syrups of your choice. Personally, I prefer sour cream or caviar, my wife and daughters like fruit jams and preserves on them. Obviously, they would not be Traditional Russian blini if they not surrounded by a red caviar.

Enjoy and Bon Appetite!

Congratulations, Today you learn how cook the one of the very traditional Russian food. Now you can taste the peace of Russian tradition or simply surprise your Russian friends.

ruslan

"Welcome to my website!” Traditional Russian Food” will reveal my family’s recipes as well as Russian food preparation secrets passed down from my mother and grandmother. You will be able to view various recipes, step by step meal preparation instructions, as well as pictures of myself and my loved once preparing delicious meals. I’ve dedicated the photo gallery to my family and friends. “Ruslan R. - Traditional Russian Food creator and owner.