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Kasha Varnishkes

June 28, 2021
Courtesy Joan Knows BestCourtesy Joan Knows Best

Recently I showed my son David how to make his favorite dish: kasha varnishkes. I also shared with him some of the history behind the recipe

Featured in: The Enduring Delights of Kasha Varnishkes

Before the arrival of potatoes from the New World in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, cooked buckwheat groats—also called kasha—were the most popular food to fill hungry stomachs in Eastern Europe. The groats were used for breakfast as porridge, as flour in blini with smoked salmon and sour cream, or as a stuffing for knishes; they were also served with noodles (varnishkes) in the beloved peasant dish of kasha varnishkes, always cooked with lots of onions, and sometimes dressed up with wild mushrooms found in forests or in open air markets.

Ingredients

  • 2large onions, sliced in rounds
  • 2-3tablespoons chicken fat or olive oil
  • 1large egg, slightly beaten
  • 1cup medium or coarse kasha
  • 2cups water, or vegetable or chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 12ounces large or small bowtie-shaped noodles
  • 2tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Preparation

  • Step 1

    Saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat or olive oil in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate and set aside.

  • Step 2

    Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, mashing with a fork or wooden spoon to make sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Continue to flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.

  • Step 3

    Add the water or vegetable or chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.

  • Step 4

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bowtie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.

  • Step 5

    When the kasha is ready, Stir the noodles into the frying pan. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with the parsley or cilantro. If desired, add a bit more chicken fat or olive oil. Serve alone with a salad or with pot roast.