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Fried and grilled

Syrniki

Small fried pancakes of tvorog curd cheese, eaten for breakfast with sour cream, jam or honey.

Syrniki are thick little pancakes of tvorog, the fresh curd cheese of Eastern Europe, mixed with egg, a little flour and sugar, then fried in butter until golden outside and soft inside. They are a breakfast staple in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, served with sour cream, jam, honey or condensed milk.

What goes in

Tvorog: 50%50%Egg: 13%13%Flour or semolina: 13%13%Sugar: 6%Butter or oil: 6%Sour cream: 13%13%6parts
  • Tvorog850%, Dry, crumbly curd cheese.
  • Egg213%, Binds.
  • Flour or semolina213%, Just enough to hold.
  • Sugar16%, Light sweetness.
  • Butter or oil16%, For frying.
  • Sour cream213%, To serve.

Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each ingredient's share of the dish.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional way, in outline.

  1. Step 1: Grate Press the tvorog through a sieve or mash it well.
  2. Step 2: Knead Mix with egg, sugar, salt and a little flour into a soft dough.
  3. Step 3: Layer Shape into small thick patties and dust with flour.
  4. Step 4: Fry Fry in butter over moderate heat until golden on both sides.
  5. Step 5: Serve Serve warm with sour cream, jam or honey.
  6. Tvorog: 50%50%Egg: 13%13%Flour or semolina: 13%13%Sugar: 6%Butter or oil: 6%Sour cream: 13%13%
    Finished Syrniki, by share.

Named for the cheese

The name comes from syr, the old Slavic word for cheese, which in Ukraine and Russia has long been used for fresh curd cheese. In Ukraine the same dish is also called syrnyky. The dough should be mostly cheese, with just enough flour or semolina to hold it together. Some cooks add raisins, vanilla or lemon zest.

Texture

The tvorog must be fairly dry; wet cheese makes the pancakes spread in the pan. Many cooks press it through a sieve for a smooth result, while others like a grainier texture. The patties are shaped by hand, dusted in flour and fried over moderate heat so the centre cooks through. They are often eaten warm, sometimes on the run.

Where it is used

BreakfastWeekend brunch

The cheeses in it

TvorogThe curd cheese that names the dish.

Also part of it, and being written: Farmer cheese (Common substitute abroad.).

More on EveryCheese

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and kitchen makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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