Buckwheat Kasha is a Ukrainian comfort food, and when you add ground beef to it, it becomes a simple but hearty meal all cooked in one dish. Buckwheat is a gluten-free plant seed loaded with nutrients. Move over 'hamburger helper', a healthier cousin has come to town! (Skip to recipe.)

beef and buckwheat kasha is a simple one-dish Ukrainian comfort food

This month for our Eat the World recipe challenge, we travel to Ukraine, whose rich fertile soils and vast fields of wheat and other food crops have earned it the nickname 'Bread Basket of Europe'. Nearly one third of the world's black soil is found in this country. In addition to growing abundant crops of barley, wheat, corn, sugar beets, and sunflowers, Ukraine is the world's third largest buckwheat producer.

Buckwheat (like quinoa) is a pseudocereal, which is a type of grain that doesn't grow on grasses but is used similarly to other cereals. It's actually the seed of a plant with heart-shaped leaves that is related to rhubarb and sorrel, and it's naturally completely gluten free, in spite of its name. Buckwheat is an important regional food in Ukraine and Russia, being a dietary staple for many centuries – the food of the masses, keeping peasant populations and whole armies from starving, yet also appearing on the tables of the tsars in their palaces.

There is some discrepancy about the terminology related to buckwheat. In Ukrainian, the word "kasha" means a porridge made from boiled buckwheat or other grains. Here in North America, kasha usually means hulled buckwheat kernels (called groats) that have been toasted, as opposed to raw untoasted buckwheat groats. The toasting process helps to make the buckwheat less mushy when cooking it.

buckwheat groats can be raw or toasted (called kasha)

Buckwheat is a humble gluten-free seed, yet loaded with health-supporting nutrients. It's high in antioxidants and minerals, protein and fiber. Because of its many properties, including cardiovascular benefits and blood sugar control, it's often touted as one of the superfoods. Buckwheat has more protein than rice, wheat, millet or corn, and is high in the amino acids lysine and arginine (which are lacking in other major cereals). It's considered one of the plant-based complete protein foods.

Plus it just tastes good.

My mom always cooked a dish of kale simmered together with buckwheat when we were growing up, but I have really come to love its rich nutty flavour combined with all sorts of foods. You can use it just like you would any other grain, putting cooked buckwheat groats into salads, making it into pilafs, and even cooking it as a porridge. Buckwheat flour is delicious and wholesome (cake, crepes, pancakes, biscuits).

This simple dish of toasted buckwheat cooked with beef and flavourful winter vegetables is a rib-sticking comfort food that's easy to digest. I can imagine myself, at the turn of the century in a Ukrainian farming community, coming in tired and hungry from a hard days work in the fields and sitting down to a big bowl of hearty, wholesome buckwheat kasha.

Beef and Buckwheat Kasha is Easy to Cook

Rinse the buckwheat first.

rinse the buckwheat for the kasha

Then cook it quickly in a hot skillet with a bit of oil to help seal the grains, which can release a natural gel when cooking that can make them mushy.

chopped veggies for buckwheat kasha

Sauté the meat and vegetables, then add the seared buckwheat groats and water.

Cooking the buckwheat kasha

Cover and cook the dish like you would rice or any other grains – no peeking, no stirring. When it's done, you've got a pan of savoury meat, veggies, and buckwheat that will warm your insides.

fluffy beef and buckwheat kasha

Finish it off with a knob of butter, because as the Ukrainians say, you can never put too much butter in buckwheat.

Enjoy the hearty flavours of Ukraine.

* * * * *

Kitchen Frau Notes: You can use raw, untoasted buckwheat for cooking kasha, but it won't have the rich nutty flavour of toasted buckwheat. Toasted kasha is a darker brown colour – it may be easier to find in import stores. However, you can easily toast raw buckwheat yourself. Rinse and drain the buckwheat, then put it into a dry skillet (without oil) and toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes, until the grains are evenly browned. Or spread the buckwheat on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven at 300°F (150°C),  for 35 to 40 minutes. Stir the grains halfway through so they brown evenly.

bowl of buckwheat kasha with beef

Buckwheat Kasha with Beef

  • 1 cup kasha (toasted buckwheat groats)*
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large red onion, diced (1½ cups)
  • 1 cup carrot, cut in small ¼" dice or shredded
  • ½ cup celery, cut in small ¼" dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb (454gms) lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1¾ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons butter or ghee

*If using raw, untoasted buckwheat groats, I recommend to toast them first for a fuller flavour (see notes above), however you can use them untoasted if you wish.

Rinse the buckwheat groats in a strainer under running water, then drain them well.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven with a tight fitting lid (or use foil when it's time to cover it) over medium heat. Add the drained buckwheat kasha and cook them until they are dry, stirring constantly. This only takes a minute or two. Remove the kasha to a bowl and set aside (this step ensures the buckwheat doesn't get mushy when cooked).

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery for five minutes, until they are translucent. Add the garlic and the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up large chunks as it cooks (about 10 minutes).

Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Spread the reserved buckwheat evenly over the top of the hot meat and vegetable mixture. Pour the water over the buckwheat and do not stir. Bring the skillet to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid or tin foil, and simmer the buckwheat kasha for 15 minutes without uncovering. Remove the pot from the heat, and dot the top with the butter.

Cover again and leave it to steam for 10 minutes to absorb the remaining water. Stir gently to fluff the buckwheat grains.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or ketchup on top. Steamed vegetables and a salad make good side dishes to go with your buckwheat kasha.

Serves 4.

Guten Appetit!

Check out all the wonderful Ukrainian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

Making Miracles: Mazuricks
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Nalysnyky (Ukranian Crêpes)
Sugarlovespices: Ukrainian Poppy Seed Roll, Makivnyk
Pandemonium Noshery: Ukrainian Pickled Tomatoes
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Galushki Soup
Literature and Limes: Oladi
Kitchen Frau: Buckwheat Kasha with Beef
DishntheKitchen: Sourdough Stuffed Beet Leaf Rolls
Sneha's Recipe: Chicken Kiev-Serves Two#EattheWorld
Amy's Cooking Adventures: Ukrainian Scuffles (Rohalyky)

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Hearty buckwheat cooked with beef and vegetables is not only healthy and filling, it's an easy one-pot dish.

Check out my past 'Eat the World' Recipe Challenge posts:

  • A Taste ofIreland: Dublin Coddle (A tasty Sausage and Potato Stew)
  • A Taste ofThailand: Shrimp Laksa (Khung)
  • A Taste ofKenya: Maharagwe with Ugali (Red Beans with Cornmeal Slice)
  • A Taste ofSweden: Swedish Meatballs with Cream Gravy
  • A Taste ofNew Zealand: Classic Pavlova
  • A Taste ofFrance: Axoa d'Espelette (A Simple Stew from the Basque Country)
  • A Taste ofArgentina: Red Chimichurri Sauce
  • A Taste ofIndia: Kerala Upma (Fluffy, Kerala Style Breakfast Upma Recipe)
  • A Taste ofPoland: Polish Honey Cake
  • A Taste ofEthiopia: Four Ethiopian Recipes for a Fantastic Feast
  • A Taste ofEngland: Gluten Free Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas
  • A Taste ofGeorgia: Charkhlis Chogi (Beets with Sour Cherry Sauce)
  • A Taste ofMexico: Cochinita Pibil Tacos (Pit Barbecued Pig to Make in Your Oven)
  • A Taste ofCambodia: Noum Kong (Cambodian Rice Flour Doughnuts)
  • A Taste ofIsrael: Cucumber, Feta, and Watermelon Salad
  • A Taste ofFinland: Lohikeitto (Creamy Salmon, Potato, and Dill Soup)
  • A Taste ofPuerto Rico: Piña Colada Cocktail
  • A Taste of Egypt: Fava Beans and Feta