Blini pancake also known as Russian blini (bliny). Pancakes but actually not exactly…
Now here’s the recipe of blini pancake or traditional Russian blinchiki or bliny as promised. Blini pancakes or bliny (blini) Russians usually cook for breakfast and eat with sour cream or jam but blinis are also good as an appetizer . In this case Russians make different fillings for blinis - the most popular fillings are meat, mushrooms, cottage cheese etc. etc. Foreigners know our Russian bliny in their Royal variation – with caviar but telling you the truth Russians are hardly ever eat blini pancakes with caviar, just in case to impress somebody! There are also many blini recipe variations, somebody make blinis batter with yeast but I prefer to cook them without adding yeast. Taste is pretty similar but it’s just about to save time. Blini pancake recipe as well as ingredients are almost same as pancakes recipe but has some difference in preparation.
blinchiki
Well, to cook blinchiki we need
200 ml kefir
250-300 ml milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda slaked in vinegar
2-3 tablespoon vegetable/sunflower oil (refined)
4-5 tablespoon flour
In a medium bowl whisk kefir, eggs, salt and sugar, 1-2 minutes would be enough, just to blend the ingredients.
whisk kefir, eggs, salt and sugar
Add 4-5 tablespoon flour and blend well. Measure a teaspoon of a baking soda (may be a bit less, not a big deal) and pour it into a tablespoon, slake baking soda with a vinegar (about a half teaspoon) and add fizzy mixture to batter. Whisk just a little bit. Mixture should have a sour cream consistence.
add 4-6 tablespoon flour
mixture before adding millk
Now add milk and whisk well (2-3 more minutes), pour 2 tablespoon oil, stir by spoon or whisk and the batter is ready. It should be a bit stiffer as milk/kefir consistence (see photo).
batter is ready
Heat the frying pan with 1-2 tablespoon of oil, ladle (usually 1 non full soup ladle per one blinchik) the batter and pour into hot pan. Tilt the pan rapidly to spread the batter out evenly. It’s OK if there are some places here and there on the pan left uncovered , it’s much worse if you ladle more batter. Your blinchik should be VERY thin!
blini pancake is frying
blinis texture when frying
When the edges are crisp looking (1-1.5 minutes approximately) slide a spatula carefully under the blin or just hook the edge of blin with a knife and flip it over by hands. Cook for about 1 minute on the other side.
flip the blin over
Eat the first one by yourself as it usually looks unattractively 
As the saying goes, you must spoil before you spin!
There is a saying in Russia as the first blin is always poor, the second one you should give to your friends and only the third one is yours.
blinis are hot and ready
When all your blini pancakes (blinchiki) are fried and if any of them are still left uneaten you may serve them with sour cream or your favorite jam! Enjoy!
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{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Cool blog! Haven’t heard of many russian recipes!
this looks wonderful love your blog
This is a great blog. I am Lithuanian (Dad’s side) and was brought up on traditional Baltic and Russian foods, like Blini’s and borscht. Been a long time since I have enjoyed these. I remember the Oladi but never knew what it was called. Thanks
This post is so great! and you mean kefir, like a liquid yogurt? and the technique is perfect…we will try this one. Thank you and best from Montecito, California.
You have a very nice blog! I know nothing about Russian food and I am depending upon you to educate me. Thank you for sharing with us. Best to you and your family!
For obvious reasons, I love finding kefir recipes
Also, this makes me so nostalgic for blini! Anywho… could we use yours on our site perhaps? We’d credit you of course. Thanks in advance!
thank you all guys for your comments! Really appreciate that. Kefir is like a sour milk I guess, has a nice salty taste, not sweet as a yogurt. Kefir is very popular in Russia, you can find kefir in each Russian market for $0.6 – $0.7 per 1 liter.
Lifeway Anna, thank you so much for asking. Feel free to use my recipes on your site! Just mention that tasterussian.com is a source. I’ll post more recipes using kefir as the main ingredient!
Ooooooooohh I love those blini pancakes:))
I love pancake, but some ingredient i saw above I never seen before.
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Great blini recipe, this recipe would be fantastic with some authentic Russian caviar even though you say Russians don’t eat much caviar.
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This recipe looks wonderful! I just returned from a month spent in St. Petersburg, and the family I was staying with made the most delicious blini! I stuffed blin after blin into my mouth (which seemed to please my host). Hers looked rather porous though… I’m wondering if recipes for blini vary a great deal? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
This family did enjoy caviar (they often had it in their fridge) but we always ate the blini as more of a dessert, or for breakfast. Usually with sweet milk (skushonka) drizzled on top, or with smetana and sprinkled sugar.
Russian food is great but can be a little tough to get used to. Once you overcome your fear it is a delight in your mouth.
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Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. My mother was full blooded Lithuanian, her parents came over on the ship, Furnessia, on July 17, 1906. They setttle in Harriburg, Illinois. I grew up eating Blini’s at my Grandmother’s house as a little girl. My daughter is writing a book on our heritage and I was looking for a recipe for Blini’s to add in the recipe section…thank you so posting this you have truly made my day. I look forward to making these over the holidays for my entire family to enjoy!
Bliny are a staple at house on Sunday mornings. My adopted sisters are Russians from Turkmenistan. Making us bliny brings a touch of home to them. We usually have them with blackberry jam. So good!
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great recipe, just need to not to be lazy and whisk for 3 minutes next time
Your blini pancakes look delicious and I want to make my one one. So I have to go to the supermarket to get some kefir (I do not have for normal kefir at home ). Thank you for sharing this cooking tips with us.
PS: I think orange or strawberry marmalade should be fine
Thanks Lelik for the Blini recipe. I certainly cook these up over this weekend. I have had Blini many times and mostly with mushroom or sausage in the middle. Sometimes I enjoy with jam at breakfast time. These treats can be eaten at any mealtime. They greatly remind me of crepes.
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I will try anything once. I love trying dishes from other countries. Only thing is sometimes I’m hesitant to make the dish myself because I’m worried if I mess it up then I’ll have a bad experience.
This is simple enough so I’m going to try them this weekend.
Thanks for sharing the recipe – they look just like crepes, but will have to give it a go.
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im russain and trust me this taste SOOOOO GOOD
Thanks for this recipe. Pancakes are eaten across the world, though the range of styles and flavors is quite surprising
Cooking is passion and cooking Russian dishes, hmm that are really hot but difficult to prepare. A blini pancake is a very old traditional Russian recipe. I am fond of cooking and have tried this dish and iis just perfect. To each person that posted this I will thank them and also want to make a request to share a Russian chicken salad recipes.
Some ideas to put inside the blini: butter, cheese, fruit, preserves, bacon, ham, mushrooms. We like to fill them with fruit preserves or honey and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
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Thank you so much for this site! My grandmother was Russian and cooked all the time. Unfortunately, her recipes she kept in her head and never shared them with me. I have been wanting to make blini for a long time, but with no luck. You have saved me much heartache, I am gong to subscribe so that I can keep getting my Russian recipes!
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I havent seen these in years. I love Russian cuisine. My grandmother used to make these for me a looong time ago.
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made this and everyone commented on the aftertaste…….I think it might be the canola oil.
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Every time I read your blog, it is right before my lunch so I am completely starving! I’ve never tried this specific type of pancake, but I love the fact that everything complements sour cream, which is one of my favorite condiments.
What a great and informative site regarding russian food. Having never tasted it before, I’m rather intrigued and inspired to make the blini pancake recipe, especially as you also have a video tutorial showing you exactly how to make it. Will certainly be back for more recipes in the future. Thanks again.
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I never thought that russians have their own way of cooking pancakes, and the saying was really funny.. for me I will save the best for my friends and have the good ones for me because there will be no bad blinis for sure
They make pancakes like this in whole eastern Europe and its delicious trust me
Selina213 Napkin Rings´s last [type] ..
Btw, you can even stuff them with cheese or meat later and deep fry them with eggs adding tartar sauce on top when its done. Makes a great lunch too.
Selina213 Napkin Rings´s last [type] ..
I have never been in Russia before. Many of my friends tell me that Russian cuisine taste great and uniquely presentable.
Simply delicious! I just tried it – and like it very much – Nothing could go wrong because of this great instructions! – I can recommend it only -Thanks!
Russian recipe always look delicious to me and I kinda like it. I hope my mom will bake me of of these recipe =)
I cook some spaghetti this evening that hubby loves so much and since I saw your recipe of pancake, I will definitely cook this tomorrow afternoon for a snack
Thanks
My grandmother used to make perogis, arent they Russian?
hmmmm…..I’m starving already just loking at the picture. I think its very delicious than the ordinary pancake although ingredients are almost the same. I will try this blini pancake recipie. I really love trying another kind or inventing a new one. Thanks for the Idea that has been shared.
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Blini could be called pancakes with pedigree. They are Russian in origin, and made from a yeast-risen batter that creates puffed tiny pancakes. Typical toppings include sour cream and roe, or caviar, making them fairly standard on menus or at catering events of a certain caliber — especially when more expensive caviar is used.
Love blini pancakes especially with a sweet component. Jam works. I like to have some fruit along with that jam on top of the blini.
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