Buckwheat kasha is an Eastern European staple that has a distinctive smell and craveable nutty flavour – it’s also incredibly nostalgic and comforting for many, myself included. Traditionally made similarly to rice with just water and finished with a knob of butter, I thought I could jazz it up a little bit while highlighting the best flavours of the buckwheat groats.
So instead of water, I opt to cook the kasha in chicken stock to up the flavour a little bit. Of course, adding browned butter seemed like a no-brainer as I was sure it would complement the nutty flavours brilliantly.
And if you want to go a step further, stirring in a touch of white miso paste for some salty umami and a touch of garlic to add a little kick, and this kasha is truly great.
How to Make Buckwheat Kasha (Grechka)
Kasha really just means porridge in most Slavic languages; however, in English, it almost always just refers to buckwheat groats – so that’s what I mean when I say kasha
To be most correct, however, the term grechka should be used as that refers specifically to buckwheat groats in Ukrainian (which can be bought online here) and other Slavic languages.
Fundamentally, it’s very simple to make and follows the same steps as cooking rice on the stovetop. However, I find that it gives it a bit of umph if you cook the kasha in chicken (or veggie) stock. You don’t need to do this, however, and you can just use an equal amount of water.
Add your dried buckwheat groats to a small saucepan and then pour over your cool stock or water.
Cover the pan, set it over high heat and bring to a vigorous boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the kasha is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed – this will take about 20 minutes.
During this time, brown your butter. This is something I’ve covered a few times – for instance, in my shortbread recipe.
All you need to do is add some butter to a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, you will notice that it begins to foam up.
Stir every so often and wait until the foam subsides. After this, you will begin to notice some brown flecks collecting at the bottom of the pan – those are the milk solids beginning to toast! Remove the pan from the heat once you reach that stage.
Now, you can simply add this to the kasha, season with salt and pepper and then serve. However, if you want to up the flavour a little bit – go ahead and add some garlic and a touch of miso paste to the brown butter.
Stir to distribute the miso paste and then pour it over the kasha. Stir to combine and then taste to adjust for seasoning, adding some black pepper and more salt if you think it’s needed.
And that’s it! Go ahead and serve immediately. This works as an excellent side dish, perfect for everything from a roast chicken to something like my mushroom stew!
And if you’ve fallen in love with the flavour of grechka, consider expanding it’s use and cook something like my buckwheat risotto!
Ukrainian Buckwheat (Kasha/Grechka)
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cup) buckwheat groats thoroughly rinsed
- 350 ml (1 ½ cups) chicken or vegetable stock or water
- 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp white miso paste optional
- 1 clove garlic grated or finely minced, optional
Instructions
- Add the buckwheat groats and chicken stock (or water) to a small saucepan. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until the buckwheat has absorbed all of the liquid and is tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the butter to a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring or swirling occasionally, and cook until it begins to bubble, the bubbles subside and you notice the butter beginning to turn brown on the bottom of the pan (see note).
- Add the miso paste and garlic to the pan and stir until the miso is evenly distributed and the garlic is very fragrant – only about 30 seconds.
- Pour the brown butter mixture over the kasha, stir and season with salt and pepper where needed. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Buckwheat kasha is so simple to make and also very comforting and nostalgic. Its unique flavour is super craveable and you’re sure to want to use this recipe over and over again.
Have any questions about this Ukrainian buckwheat recipe? Let me know in the comments!
