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Pumpkin and Potato Draniki
Instructions
Lay out on the table the ingredients we need for making the pumpkin and potato draniki.
Rinse the pumpkin thoroughly, dry it with a paper towel. Cut the fruit in half, take a piece from it. Using a sharp knife, remove the skin from the cut piece, remove the seeds and the fibrous structure of the flesh around the seeds, and grate the peeled piece of pumpkin on a grater (with large holes).
Wash the potatoes thoroughly, peel them, and rinse them again in cold water to remove the surface starch.
Then quickly grate the potatoes into fine shavings on a grater with medium holes.
Add the grated potatoes to the chopped pumpkin in the mixing bowl.
Wash the fresh greens thoroughly and chop them with a sharp knife.
Add the chopped greens to the bowl with the grated vegetables.
From the spices, add the black ground pepper and the small pinch of salt to taste.
Now add the measured flour. You don't need to take too much flour at this point. It is only needed to bind the grated vegetables together. Use approximately the weight of flour specified in the recipe, but you may have a slightly different amount depending on the moisture content of the vegetables.
This is what the prepared mixture should look like in the bowl.
Divide the prepared dough into individual portions for the easiest cooking of the deruny (pancakes). The dough can easily be rolled into balls with your clean hands. The weight of one ball is approximately 54 grams.
Flatten the formed balls to form round fluffy pancakes ready for the pan.
Heat a frying pan with the measured vegetable oil. If your frying pan has a non-stick coating, don't pour much oil in; just grease the pan with a thin layer so the pancakes do not turn out too greasy. The pumpkin mass with potatoes is naturally juicy and doesn't really require adding any extra fats during cooking. Fry the bottom side until properly golden brown for a few minutes total. The exact time depends on the thickness of the pancakes. To ensure that thicker pancakes are cooked properly through to the centre, cover the pan with a lid.
Fry the second side of the pancakes under the lid as well for the most properly cooked centre.
If you fried the pancakes in a lot of oil, remove the excess fat by placing the finished pancakes on a clean plate lined with paper napkins.
You can serve the pumpkin and potato draniki with toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh chopped herbs alongside. On regular (non-fasting) days, serve sour cream alongside the pumpkin potato pancakes.
The deruny turn out beautifully juicy, properly fluffy, and very tasty straight from the hot pan.Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Use approximately equal weights of pumpkin and potato for the most properly balanced finished flavour, since either vegetable in dominant proportion would overpower the other. The 1:1 ratio in the recipe is genuinely the best starting point. Adjust slightly to personal preference: more pumpkin produces a sweeter brighter finished result, while more potato gives a noticeably more savoury hearty finished texture in the bowl.
- 2
Fry the pancakes covered with a lid to ensure proper cooking through to the centre, since the pumpkin-potato mixture is denser than regular pancake batter and needs the trapped steam to cook through evenly. To pair these beautifully tender pumpkin-potato pancakes with another properly classic homemade fasting-friendly preparation for a complete vegan menu, try our beautifully crispy lenten potato draniki in a skillet without eggs as a contrasting plain-potato alternative.
- 3
Adjust the amount of flour based on the natural moisture content of your particular pumpkin and potatoes, since extra-juicy vegetables need more flour for proper binding. The visual test is whether the formed balls hold their shape briefly without immediately collapsing — that's the proper consistency. Add flour gradually one tablespoon at a time rather than all at once for the best control over the finished texture.
- 4
Top the freshly fried pancakes with toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh chopped herbs (parsley, dill, chives), or a generous dollop of sour cream (on non-fasting days) for a beautifully complete finished presentation. For another properly classic homemade vegetable-based pancake recipe to add variety to your weekly menu, try our beautifully tender zucchini pancakes with semolina in a pan as a contrasting summer-vegetable alternative.
FAQ
What kind of pumpkin works best? +
Sweet firm pumpkin varieties like butternut squash, hokkaido (red kuri), kabocha, or Japanese-style pumpkin all work absolutely brilliantly in this recipe. Avoid watery varieties like jack o'lantern carving pumpkins, which lack the proper sweetness and firm flesh needed for the best finished result. Each variety brings its own slightly different finished colour and sweetness level to the bowl. The brief search for proper sweet pumpkin at the market genuinely matters for the most beautifully flavourful finished pancakes every single time.
Can I add eggs? +
Absolutely. If you are not observing fasting or vegan dietary restrictions, adding 1-2 eggs to the batter produces a noticeably more cohesive finished pancake that holds together more easily during frying. Use the same total quantity of flour and other ingredients exactly as in the original recipe. The egg version is slightly easier to flip without breaking, but the egg-free version is genuinely just as delicious in finished flavour and texture for the family table.
How long do these pancakes keep? +
Store leftover pumpkin-potato draniki covered loosely in the refrigerator for up to two days for best results. Reheat gently in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or in a 180-degree oven for about 5-7 minutes total. Avoid the microwave entirely, since steaming makes the previously crispy pancakes disappointingly soggy. The cooked pancakes also freeze brilliantly for up to two months in airtight containers separated by sheets of parchment paper.
What can I serve with these? +
For lenten or vegan serving, accompany the draniki with mushroom gravy, roasted vegetable sauce, plain mashed avocado, hummus, vegan sour cream alternative, or simply a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs and lemon wedges alongside. For non-fasting days, serve with thick sour cream, plain Greek yoghurt, garlic-herb butter, sautéed mushrooms, or even a generous spoonful of caviar for a properly festive finished presentation. The sweet pumpkin notes pair beautifully with both savoury and slightly sweet accompaniments.
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