If you are not of Russian or East European descent, you probably won't be eating buckwheat groats as intact kernels on a regular basis. I usually rotate quinoa, millet, brown and purple rice as my favorite whole grain options. Although I love the taste of buckwheat flour-based pancakes and soba noodles, buckwheat groats are mostly forgotten and tucked away in my kitchen pantry.
A few weeks ago, my dear friend Sveta from the Ukraine came to visit. She taught me two ways to cook this gluten-free, super nutritious whole grain! Like quinoa, it cooks very quickly. What you see in the picture is kasha, or toasted buckwheat. You can have it with any salads, savory dishes or as an alternative to oatmeal as a breakfast porridge.
METHOD 1 (the mushier option):
- Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
- Put 3 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
- Add rinsed buckwheat, a pinch of salt and boil in medium heat for 16 minutes. (Do not lower the heat. Sveta insists it's 16 minutes exactly! Stir once or twice to make sure the grains are not stuck to the bottom of the pan.)
METHOD 2 (the grainier option):
- Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
- Put buckwheat in a saucepan, with 1 1/2 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt, then bring it to boil.
- Turn off heat. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.