Bulbyanaya Babka (Belarusian Baked Potato Pudding)
Local name: Бульбяная бабка
In short: Grated potatoes baked with smoked bacon and onion into a golden pudding with a deep brown crust, served in squares with sour cream. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 320 kcal
Babka is the oven cousin of draniki: the same grated potatoes, but baked with bacon and onion until the top forms a deep brown crust and the middle stays soft. In Belarus it is a Sunday and holiday dish, made in clay pots in villages and in cast-iron pans in town. It needs little attention once it is in the oven. Serve it hot, cut into squares, with cold sour cream.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush a 23 cm (9 in) round baking dish or cast-iron pan with the oil.
- Fry the bacon in a dry pan over medium heat for 6 minutes until crisp. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Set the pan aside.
- Finely grate the potatoes. Squeeze them in a towel to remove some of the liquid, but leave the mixture slightly moist.
- Mix the potatoes with the eggs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper and the bacon and onion with its fat.
- Pour the mixture into the dish and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 40 to 45 minutes more, until the top is deep brown and a knife comes out clean.
- Rest the babka for 10 minutes, then cut it into squares and serve with cold sour cream.
Tips
- Mix and bake soon after grating, because grated potato darkens. Stir the potatoes into the eggs and milk right away to slow this down.
- For a vegetarian version, replace the bacon with fried mushrooms and cook them in 2 tablespoons of oil.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between babka and draniki?
Both use grated potato, but draniki are fried as thin pancakes while babka is baked as one thick pudding with bacon, so it is softer inside.
Can I make potato babka ahead of time?
Yes. Bake it a day ahead and chill it, then reheat squares at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes. It also slices well when cold.
Why is my babka watery in the middle?
Too much liquid was left in the potatoes. Squeeze out most of the juice and bake until a knife comes out clean from the center.
How long does it take to make Bulbyanaya Babka (Belarusian Baked Potato Pudding)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Bulbyanaya Babka (Belarusian Baked Potato Pudding)?
About 320 kcal per serving, with 10 g of protein, 38 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 320 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 750 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
