Spring rolls are easy to make. For a long time, this recipe of Russian cuisine has been loved by both housewives and numerous companies that produce this tasty and hearty dish in the form of semi-finished products. The advantage of pancakes is that you can stuff them with anything - from cottage cheese to minced meat, mushrooms, rice or a boiled egg.
You will need:
- 3 - 4 eggs;
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon of baking soda;
- 2.5 cups flour;
- mixing container;
- mixer (or kitchen broom);
- ladle or large spoon;
- a frying pan with a spatula for turning pancakes;
- and, of course, the filling that you are going to put in the pancakes.
What types of pancakes are there?
This recipe belongs to "simple" pancakes - in Russia they were called "pancakes", in contrast to the long recipe for pancakes on dough. Preparation of the dough itself takes several minutes; baking, of course, takes more time, but in general, the whole process still does not take more than an hour. For comparison, to bake pies, it takes at least 2 - 3 hours (and as a rule - much more, especially when working with yeast dough).
The filling plays an important role in stuffed pancakes. There are a lot of options:
- cottage cheese;
- meat;
- liver or liver (yes, according to tradition, by-products are not referred to as meat);
- rice with egg and green onions;
- boiled peas;
- fried carrots with onions;
- pork or ground beef with rice and egg;
- fish fillet;
- chicken breast with fried onions and grated cheese;
- fried mushrooms;
- boiled potatoes with onions;
- cabbage (fried, stewed or sauerkraut);
- broccoli;
- sweet fillings of berries, fruits, nuts and honey;
- and much more.
In general, the choice of filling is limited only by your imagination and the contents of your refrigerator.
There are also more than a dozen ways to prepare dough. This recipe has been used in our family for more than one generation and is the most beloved; But there are a dozen different ways to make pancake dough in general. Fans of sweeter doughs can add more sugar; vanillin, cinnamon and other spices for baking are quite acceptable in pancakes.
Many recipes suggest replacing water with milk. This, of course, can be done if there is such a desire. However, in water with a lot of eggs, the pancakes will turn out to be more tender and soft. In addition, milk makes the dough thicker, so the pancakes will turn out to be thick enough, and it will be completely impossible to achieve an openwork translucency, which is considered proof of the hostess's skill.
The yeast dough variant is very popular. It is not very suitable for filling because of the thick pancakes. However, Russian cuisine is so good that it allows the most daring culinary experiments.
Cooking the dough
The pancake dough is prepared in a deep saucepan or mixing container. The volume of the container should be at least twice the volume of the liquid poured into it: after all, you will have to beat the dough. It splashes from a shallow bowl.
- Pour a liter of water into a saucepan, add salt, sugar and baking soda.
- Beat the eggs there. The ideal option for such a volume is 3-4 pieces, but if necessary, you can do with one. True, then the pancakes will not turn out so tender.
- Stir everything with a spoon or fork to break the yolks and dissolve the salt and sugar evenly.
- Add flour and beat the dough thoroughly with a mixer.
- Pour a few tablespoons of unrefined vegetable oil into the finished mixture and stir again with a mixer.
Make sure the dough is not too thick. It should spread freely over the pan in a thin layer, otherwise the pancakes will turn out to be too thick and it will be inconvenient to wrap the filling in them. If it is similar in consistency to sour cream, it is better to add a little water and a pinch of salt.
How to bake filled pancakes
Now you can start frying. Heat a frying pan and brush it with vegetable oil, fat, or just a piece of bacon. Be careful: if the metal is not hot enough, the dough will immediately stick, and you will not be able to turn the pancake. You can use the old folk method: slide your palm over the bottom: if the skin feels hot, then the pan is warmed up enough.
Pour in some dough (half to 1 ladle, depending on the volume and size of the pan). Tilt the pan slightly from side to side so that the dough spreads evenly over the entire surface. After waiting until the pancake changes its color from white to light yellow and becomes covered with "holes", gently turn it over to the other side. It needs to be baked for no more than 15 - 20 seconds - anyway, the pancake will be fried before serving.
For the second, third and all subsequent pancakes, you no longer need to grease the pan with fat.
When all the pancakes are baked, you can start filling. Please note that minced meat, mushrooms and other foods that require frying must be completely cooked, because, unlike pies, pasties and pizza, the filling is simply wrapped in a pancake. Place the pale side of the pancake on a platter, and after adding the filling, carefully wrap it in a straw or envelope. Ready-made spring rolls should be fried over high heat in a little oil and served hot.
And the extra ones can be folded into a bag or container and placed in the freezer: let them wait in the wings. In the event of a sudden visit of guests, it will be enough to pull them out and warm them up. By the way, in Russia, pancakes in all forms had almost ritual significance. They were baked for Shrovetide, they remembered the dead with them, the mother-in-law assessed the future daughter-in-law by her ability to bake pancakes. Moreover, with skillful preparation, they are not inferior in taste to either pies or cakes, and they are ideal for the role of "travel" food.
