Quick note about the photos, just so we’re clear. I’m a dad - busy, usually hungry, and most of the times not in the mood to stage a five-angle shoot of my dinner. I also take Zazu’s advice seriously: don’t play with your food. So what you’ll see in here is the real deal. Just one quick snap with my iPhone, right after I’ve made the dish - before it gets consumed by me or the kid. The upside? Unlike those fancy cookbooks (which I still love, by the way - I’ve got a whole shelf full of them) where the food looks like it was made by a movie crew - you’ll actually get what you see here, as long as you follow the recipe. No tricks, no filters, just honest food that works. I also don't do videos or reels - screw them, I'm all in for reading.
Breakfast is never easy - after a full night’s sleep, the guy wakes up full of energy and an endless supply of no’s. There are no guarantees, no safe bets. One day, Alan swore this one specific kind of yogurt was the best thing ever. So like a good dad, I bought a jumbo pack. Naturally, from that day on, he never touched it again. Not a single spoonful. I ended up eating the whole thing myself. Classic.
Like most kids from Eastern Europe (I was born in the Soviet Union and spent my first 25 years in Russia), I probably had these pancakes for breakfast more times than I can count - maybe even too often. But after all these years, I was genuinely excited to stumble across the recipe again, tucked into a book on Georgian cuisine. It felt like finding an old friend.
These things are quick and easy to make. They are moderately sweet, and they pair well with just about anything - whipped cream, honey, maple syrup, fruit, nuts or KETCHUP (yep, Alan tried it once). And since pretty much every combo works, Alan doesn’t get bored of them. A win for a busy dad.
Enough talk, here goes the recipe:
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3 people
Ingredients:
2 eggs
100g of sugar (superfine gives better texture, regular is also fine)
150g low-fat yogurt
100g creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
200g all-purpose flour
50g potato starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
oil for frying
Steps:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add the yogurt, sour cream, and salt, then whisk again until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, starch, and baking soda. Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and whisk until smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a bit of oil. Once it’s hot, turn the heat down to low and scoop in a small ladle of batter to make a pancake. Let it cook for 2–3 minutes, until bubbles start popping on the surface, then flip and cook the other side for about a minute. Keep them warm while you finish the rest. Serve with whatever toppings you’ve got around - no need to overthink it.