flipGrechnevaya Kasha — Buckwheat Porridge with Butter
Grechnevaya Kasha — Buckwheat Porridge with Butter
Why this dish? For a man concerned about his health and the cleanliness of what he ate, buckwheat kasha was the safe dish par excellence: simple, nourishing, without dubious preparation, it was eaten from the Conservatory to the dachas.
Toasted buckwheat groats, swollen in water and bound with melted butter: a golden, rustic, comforting porridge, a true pillar of all Russian tables.
They call it humble, this kasha — I find it honest. The toasted buckwheat smells of hazelnut before it even touches water; I let it swell covered, without tormenting it, until each grain remains distinct. Then a knob of fresh butter, and nothing else: what is pure needs no ornament. A clean dish, that is what I seek, for the body and for the spirit.
- •Toasted buckwheat (grechka) — a large bowl (base)
- •Water or broth — twice the volume of grain (cooking liquid)
- •Fresh butter — a good knob (binding and richness)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Grechnevaya Kasha — Buckwheat Porridge with Butter
Toasted buckwheat groats, swollen in water and bound with melted butter: a golden, rustic, comforting porridge, a true pillar of all Russian tables.
Why this dish? For a man concerned about his health and the cleanliness of what he ate, buckwheat kasha was the safe dish par excellence: simple, nourishing, without dubious preparation, it was eaten from the Conservatory to the dachas.
They call it humble, this kasha — I find it honest. The toasted buckwheat smells of hazelnut before it even touches water; I let it swell covered, without tormenting it, until each grain remains distinct. Then a knob of fresh butter, and nothing else: what is pure needs no ornament. A clean dish, that is what I seek, for the body and for the spirit.
Ingredients (period version)
- Toasted buckwheat (grechka) — a large bowl (base)
- Water or broth — twice the volume of grain (cooking liquid)
- Fresh butter — a good knob (binding and richness)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Toasted buckwheat (kasha) — 200 g (base)
- Water or chicken broth — 400 ml (cooking liquid)
- Butter — 40 g (binding)
- Salt — 1/2 tsp (seasoning)
- Sautéed chopped onion (optional) — 1 (traditional garnish)
Method
- Rinse the buckwheat. Pour it into a saucepan with cold salted water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook 15-18 minutes without stirring, until all liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off heat, place butter on top, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
- Fluff gently with a fork. Serve with, if desired, golden fried onions.
How it was made : Kasha in Russian means any grain porridge; buckwheat was the most common because the plant grew well in poor soils. It was traditionally cooked in the large Russian oven (pech), left for hours at gentle, declining heat.
The contemporary twist : Top with sautéed porcini mushrooms and a little fresh dill: kasha becomes a side dish worthy of a modern table.
Alexander Scriabin · Charactorium
