The Russian name for a small fried doughnut, often served with sour cream or jam, is ponchik.
Ponchiki are small fried pastries made from a dough that commonly includes flour, eggs, sugar, and dairy ingredients such as tvorog or quark-style cheese. They are often shaped as balls rather than rings and may be dusted with powdered sugar after frying.
The singular form is ponchik, while ponchiki is the plural commonly used when referring to a serving or batch. Regional recipes vary, and some versions are closer to cheese doughnuts than to the yeast-raised ring doughnuts familiar in North America.
Ponchiki are sometimes compared with doughnut holes, but the comparison is only approximate: many Russian versions are made as complete small pastries and have their own ingredients and serving traditions. Sour cream, jam, honey, or powdered sugar may accompany them.