Pilaf and Rice Dishes

Buckwheat with Onion and Carrot

The simplest kasha demands precision in only one respect — one part grain to two parts water. The rest is down to the fried vegetables: the onion and carrot must colour properly or the dish tastes flat. And then the step people skip, ten minutes under the lid off the heat, while the grain finishes in its own steam.

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Buckwheat with Onion and Carrot — the finished dish
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
10 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Per serving
320 kcal

Ingredients

Makes: 4 servings as a side

Method

  1. Step 1: Rinse the grain

    Pick the buckwheat over and rinse in two or three changes of water until it runs clear. Drain well.

  2. Step 2: Toast it

    Warm the grain in a dry pan for 3 minutes, stirring — it becomes more fragrant and will never clump.

  3. Step 3: Cook it

    Cover the buckwheat with 600 ml boiling water, salt it, bring to a boil and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4: Fry the vegetables

    Meanwhile chop the onion finely and blitz or grate the carrots. Fry in the oil for 10 minutes, until the onion is golden and the carrot sweet.

  5. Step 5: Check the grain

    After 15 minutes all the water should be absorbed. If liquid remains, cook uncovered for a minute or two.

  6. Step 6: Combine

    Tip the fried vegetables into the pot, add the pepper and fold through gently with a fork rather than a spoon.

  7. Step 7: Let it rest

    Cover and leave for 10 minutes — this is when the kasha turns genuinely fluffy.

  8. Step 8: Serve

    Scatter with parsley and serve as a side or as a dish in its own right.

Tips & variations

  • Tip

    Never stir it while it cooks: the grains break and release starch.

  • Variation

    A handful of fried mushrooms turns this from a side dish into a meal.

  • Swap

    Replace half the oil with butter for a much mellower flavour if you are not keeping it vegan.

  • Storage

    Keeps 3 days and is excellent reheated in a pan with an egg.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving and for the whole dish
1 serving Whole dish 4 servings
Energy320 kcal1,280 kcal
Protein10 g40 g
Fat9 g36 g
Carbohydrates52 g208 g

Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.

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