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Kasha, or cracked buckwheat, is to Russia as bulgur is to the Middle Eastβthe staple carbohydrate food used in numerous dishes but chiefly as a simple casserole. Buckwheat is not technically a grain but the seeds of an herb, a relative of rhubarb. The seeds, or groats, form a dietary staple in northern climates, especially in Siberian Russia and in Brittany. Buckwheat is an important component of Jewish cuisine. It is high in lysine and calcium as well as vitamin E and the entire gamut of vitamin B complex. It isespecially noted for its high nitriloside or B17 content, a vitamin that plays an important role in the bodyβs defense against cancer. This recipe is from Sally Fallon Morell’s Nourishing Traditions p. 476. It reflects the sixth of our 11 Wise Traditions Dietary Principles. Makes 3 cups:
Ingredients
- 1 cup kasha prepared according to instructions below
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Instructions
- Sprout the groats in two jars according to these instructions.
- Drain well, spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 150 degrees overnight or until the berries are well dried. Store the kasha in an airtight container in your refrigerator. As the kasha has been sprouted, it does not require soaking before cooking.
- Heat a heavy, castiron skillet, add kasha and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until kasha is toasted. Let cool.
- Mix toasted kasha with egg.
- Reheat the pan and pour in the kasha-egg mixture. Over medium-high heat, flatten, stir and chop the kasha with wooden fork until the egg has cooked and the kernels are hot and mostly separated, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil with butter and seasonings. Add kasha-egg mixture, bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low. Cook about 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and fluff up with butter if desired.
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