Oladiya

I believe that most of the cuisine of Europe, with the exception of a few regional specialties is the same. 

Having lived and tasted Europe, the main different between Italian, German, Russian, British, and French is the sauce.  The exceptions to this rule seem to be at the edges; where weather and isolation tend to transmute the cuisine.  But anyone raised in the core of Europe could travel anywhere else and recognize the food.

There are of course a few things that cross the cultural boundary, not just of one culture but of cultures all over the world.  Pancakes are one of those things.

Pancakes are as ubiquitous as salt and come in more varieties.  All of them delicious.

Growing up my mother never had much time for making breakfast.  When I was really little, she was a teacher.  And once we moved to the United States, she worked far too many jobs.  So a cooked breakfast was a rare treat.

One of my favorites has always been Oladiya.  Denser and thicker than an American pancake they cook up with the cutest little rolled edge, perfect for keeping in place a soft dollop or sour cream and a spoonful of raspberry jam.

It is an easy recipe to play with, increasing or decreasing the sugar to make them suitable for a sweet or savory preparation. Changing out all or part of the flour to change the characteristics.  And of course, they are easily dressed up with a little bit of fruit.

In summer when the peaches are ripe and the plums bursting with juice, slicing one thinly and laying it on the raw dough before flipping produces the pretties Oladiya with softly caramelized fruit tops.  The perfect way to start a breezy weekend morning.

In winter a little cinnamon sugar tossed apple brings the warm scents of the holidays to breakfast.

Not to say that traditional American pancake with their fluffy spongy centers that readily soak up darkly rich maple syrup are bad.  They are still one of my favorite things to order at breakfast. 

But oladiya remind me of being little. 

Of spending mornings spreading my mother’s home made preserves over hot little cakes with my fingers and still ending up with sticky fingers and a sticky face.

To me they are a fun finger food, meant to be topped then pick up from the underside so it bows like a little taco and eaten with gusto.  Just a little different but oh so familiar.

A pancake by another name.

And just in time for Sunday Brunch!

Oladiya

1 cup kefir (or 2/3 cup plain yogurt with 1/3 cup buttermilk)
1 -2 cups all purpose flour [1]
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Slices of fruit (optional)

Mix everything together.  Start with 1 cup of flour and add enough to give the batter the consistency of yogurt.  Smooth and creamy but not too thick.  It should be thicker than pancake batter.

Set aside for 15-30 minutes.

Heat a not stick or well seasoned cast iron skillet.  Brush with melted butter.

Stir the batter well and drop two tablespoons full per pancake onto the skillet.  Top with a piece or fruit if desired, the cook until the edges are browned.  Flip and brown the other side.

Remove to a warm plate.

Serve with sour cream and jam.

Comments

[Tanna]

Wonder why the edges curl! Sounds like it would hold syrup also but I like the slices of fruit the best. That's a really beautiful memory.

[Freya]

These look lovely, what a wonderful breakfast treat! You have a lovely site by the way (first visit but not last!)!

[Kitarra]

Tanna,

I have always wondered that myself. Why the edges curled. I am supposing it is because of the viscosity of the batter and the way that it cooks but I really don't know. It is very cute however.

Freya,

Hi, welcome. Thank you for your kind words, a close friend who has a much better eye for color helped me.

[aria]

oh how pretty! i've never heard of Oladiya before. it looks and

[Kitarra]

Aria,

Thank you. My mom started the fruit on the bottom and I love it too. Its so pretty.

[verlaine]

zdrastvuyte! this recipe sounds like a good alternative to heavy pancakes and the thin crepe ~ i should tell my friends.. and nice food photos. now i really want to try it!

[Kitarra]

Verlaine,

Thank you. These are a wonderful alternative to plain old pancakes. Thank you for stopping by. I would love to know what you think of them when you try them!