In Eastern European countries, buckwheat is a staple ingredient. My mom prepared buckwheat for us at least once a week and vowed that it would single-handedly prevent me from getting headaches.
Serve buckwheat with a cabbage salad. This makes it a filling, delicious meal.
Buckwheat is a super-food that totes so many health benefits. It’s gluten-free, packed with protein, low in cholesterol and high in fiber. Bonus: this grain is super affordable!
Buckwheat Kasha
Back home in Ukraine, buckwheat is commonly served as a porridge referred to as kasha. In fact, any grain that is cooked in water and served with butter is called kasha by Ukrainians and Russians. This wholesome, oatmeal-like dish can be served savory or sweet and is typically paired with a vegetable and a protein.
In my interpretation of a savory kasha, I dress it up by adding in some mushrooms and fresh herbs for a well-rounded, nutritious meal. Consider it a healthier, but just as delicious, alternative to mushroom risotto!
What Should I Serve my Buckwheat Dish With?
How to Cook Buckwheat
Besides being a childhood comfort food, I love buckwheat for its convenience. Despite the grain being dense, you do not need to soak it in water before cooking. It can go straight into boiling water and be ready in 20 to 25 minutes.
Water to Buckwheat Ratio
Just like white rice, buckwheat uses a 2 to 1 water to buckwheat ratio. Easy, peasy!
Why is My Buckwheat Mushy?
This is where my recommendation to buy buckwheat from an Eastern European market or off Amazon comes in most handy. The texture of the buckwheat from these stores is denser, which prevents it from overcooking and becoming mushy. Also, Eastern European brands typically come toasted and golden brown. If the grain you purchased is not pre-toasted, I recommend that you quickly toast it in a dry pan for about 4-5 minutes before cooking.
How Many Calories does Buckwheat Have?
When prepared in water, one serving of cooked buckwheat (one cup) only clocks in at 160 calories. It is a great ingredient to add to your pantry if you are trying to lose some pounds. For barely any calories, buckwheat will keep you full and satisfied.
Where Can I Buy Buckwheat?
If you want to find the most authentic buckwheat, venture out to an Eastern European market. Ukrainians and Russians have been harvesting the grain for hundreds of years and you can find a very high-quality buckwheat grain for quite cheap at any of their specialty stores.
If you aren’t feeling like going out to the store, hop onto Amazon and order it online. This brand on Amazon is one of my favorites.
I will steer you away from going to an organic or health food store to purchase the grain. I find that the texture in these stores is very different than what I am used to. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed too many times by brands I have purchased at Whole Foods and other similar stores.
Other Buckwheat Recipes
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked buckwheat
- 2 cup water
- 16 oz mushrooms
- 1 medium onions
- 1 cup green onions diced
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients for the buckwheat dish. To cook buckwheat: Bring water to boil, add buckwheat and salt to taste, cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes.
- Preheat a pan, add butter and onions to the pan. Add diced mushrooms to the mix and cook until it becomes golden brown.
- Combine mushroom mixture with buckwheat, let it sit for about 5 min to allow flavors to come together.
- Finally, add in fresh green onions and stir to combine everything together. Serve right away.
This is really lovely and has quickly become a favourite of ours
Hi Doug, I am thrilled to hear this! Thank you for sharing your feedback with me! Enjoy!
My first time cooking with buckwheat. It was very good. Thank you
Hi Mary, I am thrilled that you love this recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback. Enjoy it dear!
Hi, I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I was curious about why you wouldn’t cook this like a risotto, where you cook the ingredients together and keep adding small amounts of stock until done? Is this just the traditional way or personal preference, or is it because the risotto method wouldn’t work?
Hi Ali, I grew up with this cooking method. My grandma made it this way as well as my mom. With the risotto method, The buckwheat would get overcooked quickly. Buckwheat cooks similarly to white rice. I hope this answers your question! Thank you for reaching out!
Thanks for this recipe! Simple and extremely satisfying to eat, so good! We fried a couple eggs for some extra protein on top.
Hi Q, that sounds like a delicious addition! You're welcome. 🙂
This is so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Yay! Glad you loved it, Mel!
Hello, I had bookmarked your recipe awhile ago and am now coming back to it. I'm not writing to comment on it because I haven't made it (yet, though it's now at the top of the list). But I see you are originally from Ukraine and I'm just letting you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you, your loved ones and everyone involved.
Hi Diana- it's so kind of you to come back and comment just to show support. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Just had it for dinner, wow! Delicious. Before I moved to the states at 18, my mom back in Lithuania used to make buckwheat for us all the time, for a quick dinner if we weren’t too hungry. All it was, was buckwheat, salt, butter and sour cream. It was amazing! Always hit the spot. I had been craving some buckwheat a few weeks ago, so I boiled some up. While it was cooking, I melted a couple of tbsp of butter in a non-stick, dumped half a bag of frozen cauliflower in and seasoned with paprika, salt, garlic powder and pepper. When it was cooked and nicely browned, I cut up some random chicken burger I had picked up at Whole Foods on sale. It was fully cooked so I just added it to the pan and mixed everything up. Added the buckwheat and a couple more tbsp of butter and, let me tell you, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had! Of course, nothing is better than just some butter and sour-cream though! Cheers.
Hi Kiko - YUMMMMM! That sounds bomb. We love ground chicken over here too and totally agree about butter and sour cream. Buckwheat is one of those comforting dishes that we always go back to because it reminds us of home. It's also healthy - so it's a win-win. Thanks for sharing your story and for trying this recipe. It means a lot and is greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the delicious recipe, my husband and I both love it. My personal touch was to add 1 Tbsp of Better Than Bouillon for each cup of water to boil the Buckwheat groats in and at the end, along with the diced green onions, I added a bag of frozen Baby Peas and let it simmer about 10 minutes while all the flavors combine. The peas really boosts the nutritional value and all that green in the pan is a treat for the eyes. It's amazing.
YUM! That sounds so good. I'm a HUGE fan of Better Than Bouillon. It's the BEST. Happy New Year, Diane!
Do you cover the pot with a lid while cooking buckwheat for 20-25 minutes on low heat?
Yes, cover it with a lid, great point. We will add a note.
Delicious and nutritious! Despite browning the buckwheat for 4-5 minutes before adding water it still turned out soggy 🙁 So I transferred it into a clean frypan with a little oil and fried it for a good 5 minutes, tossing frequently to avoid burning. It worked!!
Thank you for your feedback, so glad you loved it, and thank you for your tips!
I added a 1/2 pkg onion soup mix to buckwheat and water for extra flavor but otherwise followed recipe. This was okay ... BUT ... you must serve with green onions. The green onions made a huge difference to the dish. Hubby liked it; I don't think it will be part of our rotation but it is nice for a change.
Thank you for the tip about the onions. I'm glad you chose to try something new.
Natalya, My wife Inna is from the Ukraine and has been serving our twin boys Buckwheat kasha for since the were about 1 year old. Personally I was never impressed with how she was preparing them, she adds onions, carrots and ground turkey and prepares as you do. Being Italian I'm bid on flavors and recently became a vegetarian I gave it a try doing it my way. I used extra extra virgin olive oil, onions, diced mushrooms, shredded carrots, minced garlic, thyme and a bit Worcestershire, needless to say my wife was shocked when she tried my version as were the kids. There are so many ways to use this healthy ingredient like cooled buckwheat with milk and honey.
Hi Jerry, thank you for the tips and for sharing your version, it should delicious! All those flavors sound incredible!
Natalya, after leaving my comment I spend time looking at your recipes and I am truly impressed, thank you.
Thank you very much, Jerry! I hope you try out a few recipes and love them!
Natalya, I grew 20 acres of organic buckwheat this year for a small local miller in southern Minnesota. The weather during seed set was mostly great this year so quality (test weight) and yield were good. A beekeeper in this area placed 19 hives at the field to insure good seed set.
I would be happy to have you compare this lot of groats grown in Minnesota against Eastern Europe's production--which I have not tried cooking for simple hot breakfast cereal as yet.
Hi Terry, I would love to try it to compare. That sounds very interesting. I am not familiar with the process of growing buckwheat in Europe but I did notice a significant difference. Thank you for sharing.
This was really, really surprisingly good. I expected it to be bland but it wasn't at all. Many thanks for the recipe.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your feedback.
Thanks for a great receipe
You're welcome 🙂 Thank you for commenting!
My parents came from eastern europe and I am familiar with kasha. Haven't eaten it for many years but have started again.Thank you for your lovely recipes
Della, I am glad you are enjoying the recipe. I hope you find other recipes you enjoy!
I enjoyed buckwheat preparations when we were travelling in Russia last year. Now I can try and recreate these culinary delights. Much thanks.
Mridu, we grew up on buckwheat and knowing that it's so good for you, makes me excited. 🙂 Hope you love this recipe.
I had buckwheat around and didn't know how to use it, prompting me to poke around the Internet where I bumped into your website and recipes. I tried this recipe...which I really liked!!
Next time, I plan to use a few more mushrooms (since I love them) and I've already identified a Eastern European market where I can buy buckwheat. Yes, as you suggested, the buckwheat that I bought at my regular store proved to be a bit mushy. Even so, the recipe was delicious and -- important! -- EASY TO MAKE.
I'll make it again.
THANK YOU!
Nona, this is so good to hear! Thank you for sharing your feedback. It will help so many others. So good to hear that you love the recipe!
It was super easy and quick to make...but tasted so good, together with your Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe! Thank you for the recipes!
Hey Mist, oh I am so happy to hear this. Creamy cucumber salad with this was a childhood favorite! 🙂