Nalysnyky or Налисники [nah-less-neh-keh] are absolutely my favourite Ukrainian dish. My mom calls them “nallies.” You can’t make it in the Instant Pot. So, this is the first non-pressure cooker recipe.
It’s worth the effort. These delicate crepes are filled with cheese and dill, smothered in cream and baked in the oven.
Cheese or mushrooms are the traditional fillings for these Ukrainian crepes. My cheese filling has a lot more dill than traditional recipes. One traditional recipe uses 1 teaspoon for all of the filling. I use ¼ cup.
For a mushroom filling, my recipe for morel mushrooms in cream (or just any mushrooms in cream) fits the bill – if you chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces.
If you’re not experienced making crepes, double the batter so that you have a few to practice on. But, remember that these crepes end up being rolled into nalysnyky so you don’t need perfectly round crepes. Filling and rolling crepes means a lot of weird edges are hidden.
Still, nalysnyky are easy to make. It’s just a little time consuming to make a lot of individual crepes. But, once you get a rhythm, it’s easy to fill a casserole. Double or triple the recipe to make more for later.
There are two ways you can roll these up – the method might be a regional style. I place 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the filling in the centre of the crepe. Then, I roll it in thirds – more common in Central Alberta. You can also spread a layer of filling over the whole crepe. Then, roll it like a jelly roll. I’ve been told this method is more popular in Manitoba.
Dry curd cottage cheese is key to this filling. Regular cottage cheese has too much moisture to work here. Need to make your own dry cottage cheese?
These are excellent to freeze, thaw and bake when you need them.
Nalysnyky - Ukrainian crepes with cheese and dill filling
Equipment
- 10 inch non-stick frying pan
- Casserole with lid
- Blender or hand blender or whisk
- Wire racks
Materials
Crepe batter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons water
- ½ cup all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cheese filling
- 2 cups dry curd cottage cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
Cream topping
- ½ cup sour cream or ½ cup 10% cream
- ½ cup 10% cream or milk
- ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing the casserole
- ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter for dotting between layers
Instructions
Crepe batter
- Using a whisk, a handheld blender or a blender, whisk 2 eggs with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup milk and 3 Tablespoons water.
- Sift ½ cup of flour and whisk into the batter mixture
- Let the batter rest for 30 minutes or up to overnight. This helps the flour absorb the liquid.
Cheese filling
- Mix together 2 cups dry curd cottage cheese, 2 egg yolks, 2 Tablespoons sour cream, and ½ teaspoon salt using a blender or just stirring vigorously
- If using a blender, combine ¼ cup chopped dill with the cheese separately so the filling doesn't turn green
Crepes
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, fill it half-way with batter
- Lightly oil a 10-inch non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Test the pan is hot enough - droplets of water should sizzle. Swirl the batter to form a thin crepe.
- When bubbles appear in the middle, flip the crepe and cook about 10 seconds on the other side
- Use a wire rack to cool the crepes. When they're cool, they can be stacked until ready to fill
Fill crepes and layer in a casserole
- Preheat your oven to 325°F
- With the "right" (or evenly browned) side down, place 3 Tablespoons of filling in the centre of the crepe
- Fold the bottom third of the crepe onto the filling
- Roll the crepe over so the seam side is down. Squeeze the crepe gently to push the cheese to the edges and remove any air
- Butter a square casserole dish (that has a lid) and arrange four crepes in the dish
- Combine ½ cup sour cream with ½ milk and pour a third of it over the bottom crepe layer. Dot with pieces of butter.
- Continue with the next layer of 4 filled crepes - but arrange them perpendicular to the first layer. Top with a third of the cream/milk mixture and dot with butter. Repeat with the third layer
- Bake in a 325°F oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately. Smachnoho!
Notes
Delicious!!! Will make them again and try them with the mushroom filling. Tip: you can also use the dried crumbly cheese commonly sold in Turkish shops as “fresh cheese” (Taze çökelek) but then don’t add any salt to the filling.
Great tip! I’ve also thought about mixing in a little feta.
Help!!! I am an American living in the Netherlands. I am not of Ukrain heritage. My husband and I are helping 2 Ukraine women and their 3 children by letting them live in our extra bedroom (we only have a 2 bedroom house). I am trying to make them feel “at home” as best as possible. They do not speak any English or Dutch and I do not speak any Ukrain. They are VERY shy to ask for ANYTHING and I so want to make them feel welcome. Please please give me some food suggestions. Trying to find some of the ingredients listed is a bit tricky as not everything is the same.
Hi Margaret – what a wonderful thing you are doing! I think the most “at home” Ukrainian food is borscht. I have a few recipes for borscht, and you don’t need an Instant Pot. If you can find beets and sour cream for serving, you’re on your way.
Another great activity is to make varanyky (vah-ren-eh-key): Baba’s best perohe-varenyky-pyrogy dough. My Ukrainian-Canadian family immigrated from the Western Ukraine. But, make the dough. Pinching dumplings in a group is just how you get those made. You can fill them with mashed potato or potato and any cheese really.
You’re a hero, Margaret!
Also, Margaret – if you want to learn a bit of Ukrainian, Duolingo has a Ukrainian course and they are doing what they can to support Ukraine: https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-statement-ukraine/
The ones my baba used to make here in Edmonton were quite small like the length of my pinky. Same with the ones they make at shumka ukranian foods and uncle eds. Any thoughts on that. Most of the recipes i’ve seen call for them to made bigger.
Hi Martin – when I make this recipe, I plan my crepe diameter based on how many rows I want to fit in the casserole – usually 2 rows horizontally in an 11×17 inch. If you make smaller crepes it can be the right crepe-to-filling ratio you remember. Think about using a griddle to get the most crepes cooking at the same time. Also – I’m a big fan of Uncle Ed’s/Stawnichy’s sausage!
Thanks so much. I have used you beet holubsi recipe with tweeks and give them away at Christmas. I could start a business as so many people love them but have never had them