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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-free Recipes

    Published: Nov 26, 2014 · Modified: Nov 25, 2020 by kseniaprints · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · #sponsoredpost · 16 Comments

    Buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

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    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    Standing at the stovetop, my mother would brown the onions in the pan to a crisp. When they were just near done, little caramelized nubs of concentrated onion goodness, their flavour practically akin to sugar, she would add thinly sliced champignons to the mix. In a separate saucepan atop the stove rested the already-cooked buckwheat kasha – brown, toasted buckwheat groats – that was to join the mushroom-onion mixture later. The clock stood at 7:45 p.m., and soon, my dad would walk through the door.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    There was magic in this process, an alchemy the likes of which every Russian house knows. There was something enchanting in the smell that spread across the rooms, heralding the coming of buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions. Despite the gnawing hunger I must have felt, I can now romanticize about that anticipation for dinner.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    But I don’t have to wax poetic to admit that I really loved those moments of transformation. When the mushrooms would release their juices into the pan, some of the onions that have already browned and dried out would plump back up a bit, rehabilitated by the mushrooms. There was no salvaging the truly burnt pieces, of course, but my mother didn’t care – she hated few things in life more than raw onion, and even burnt skins were better in her books. My dad didn’t really care either way; he was happy just to have his buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    For a few moments, there was calm in the house. The radio, set to Galgalatz, would be playing its characteristic mix of Israeli music and classical rock. The lights were on in the kitchen, but rarely in the living room. I would be curled up on the couch, reading, or working on my homework on the dining room table. My mother would have been home early that day, resting for a few hours, endorphins coursing through her body from the exercise class she had just taken just hours earlier. While dinner was cooking, there was happiness.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    But the truth is that these evenings were few and far between. Growing up, my mother rarely came home early enough to cook dinner; these memories belong in what I mockingly refer to as my “second childhood”, the year-and-a-half hiatus during which I sought refuge at my parents’ home in my mid-twenties. Usually, my grandmother Berta would be the one cooking dinner for my sister and I, and she never burnt her onions. My parents were rarely even home in time for it – and when they were, their moods were often so rotten that any calm would evaporate the moment they walked through the door.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    You see, there was an oft-repeated rule in our house – never bother dad before dinner. Overworked, underpaid and likely feeling under-appreciated, he often came home in a ruinous mindset, wanting no contact with human beings until dinner was consumed and the strong, black tea with sugar and lemon that my people favour was coursing through his veins.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    Sadly, as a restless and often trouble-making kid, and then a busy young adult, I rarely listened. There was usually something I needed to discuss right then and there, something that, in my mind, just couldn’t wait. And so I would disrupt my dad before he had finished his plateful of buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions, invariably with what was not much more than the annoying rambling of a self-observed teenager. And he would invariably get mad… And whatever vestige of calm I had envisioned, whatever dreamlike castles I had constructed in my mind, they would all be gone with a raised voice, an inconsiderate shout, an ill-advised argument.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    As a grown-up, I am now extra-sensitive when loved ones are rude to me when I come asking for their attention. When G lets frustration and anger spill over onto me, I shut down; it seems hard to forgive that little indiscretion. And yet, ever my father's daughter, I find myself falling into the same pitfalls - erupting in anger if I am hungry, or if I had a bad day. It seems that I am bound to walk in the same circles, making the same mistakes, and eating the same foods as my family.

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    Buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions now seems to have the same calming effects on me as it did on my father. I crave it at seemingly random times, jonesing for that soft, earthy taste in my mouth, for the texture of the mushrooms, for the fragrance of the whole dish. When I get my hands on a bowl, I immediately want to curl up on a couch and watch an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or listen to some lyrical metal - the scenes of my teenage years. I now know that in moments of strife, of pressure, or insecurity, a big bowl of soothing buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions could be just what the doctor ordered. Unlike my mother, I sometimes add kale to my version in order to spruce up the greens quotient - and the bowl feels like an even bigger hug.

    And how about you? Do you have any foods that calm you down instantly?

    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    NOTE: This is At the Immigrant's Table's 100th post! Woohoo! And on Nov. 18th, this little place turned a year old. Goodness gracious. I feel like that should have called for a celebration, but somehow, time just flew by. Oh well - here's a virtual little 'happy birthday' from me.

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    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions
    Kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions

    Buckwheat kasha with camarelized mushrooms and onions

    Buckwheat kasha with camarelized mushrooms and onions is a chewy, earthy dish that is perfect for cold winter days when we need some comfort and nourishment. Unlike my mother, I sometimes add kale to my version in order to spruce up the greens quotient.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Grains
    Cuisine: Russian cuisine
    Servings: 4 large servings
    Author: Ksenia Prints

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup buckwheat groats preferably the dark, pre-toasted ones, that are labeled kasha and available boxed up in Russian stores and European delis. Though the dry raw ones you find in bulk in health stores are also totally fine
    • 1 med-sized onion
    • 1 lb mushrooms any kind will do
    • 2 TBs vegan margarine or butter
    • 3 cups of kale about 5-6 large leaves, optional

    Instructions

    • Chop onion finely. Slice mushroom thinly. Chop kale into strips, saving the stems for stalk. Set aside.
    • Wash buckwheat well and ensure you sift through it. Drain well. Heat a pan (preferably cast iron) on med-high heat, and add buckwheat. toast groats for 5 minutes, stirring often, until it becomes fragrant. Remove from heat.
    • Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add kale, and let cook for 2 mins. Remove kale from the water and set aside. bring water back to a boil.
    • Once water is boiling again, add ½ teaspoon salt and the toasted buckwheat. Lower heat to minimum, cover, and continue cooking for another 20-30 mins - without stirring. When kasha is soft and all water has evaporated, remove from heat and cover w a towel, and a lid on top.
    • While buckwheat is cooking, heat pan once more on med heat. Add 2 TBs vegan margarine (or butter), and once it's melted, add onion. Let cook for 5-10 mins, until it becomes translucent. add mushrooms, and cook on med heat for another 10 mins, until mushrooms and onions have browned. Season w salt an pepper to taste.
    • When serving, top buckwheat kasha with kale, and then mushrooms and onions. Season with the hot sauce of your choice, and dig in.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mom says

      November 26, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Super!)

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        November 28, 2014 at 10:59 am

        Spasibo, mam 🙂

        Reply
    2. Stephanie says

      November 26, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      Congratulations on the 100th post! That's great! I was excited to read this because I love Kasha but I used to make it with egg white--I think that helps the kasha hold their shape? Anyway, I don't cook with eggs anymore so I'm just curious for your input on this. Did you mom or grandma use egg white with the kasha? Any tips for avoiding it turning to mush? Thank you and looking forward to another 100 posts!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        November 28, 2014 at 11:00 am

        Huh? Honestly, I have never heard of the egg white trick... No one in my family has ever used egg whites in making kasha, for sure. And if you'll look at my pictures, you'll see that the grains are definitely NOT mushy... I think the trick is toasting them? And of course, no stirring while cooking.
        I'm now curious about the egg whites...

        Reply
        • Stephanie says

          November 28, 2014 at 11:46 am

          Ah well. It was over 10 years ago and I guess the egg method just happened to be the first recipe I ever saw about Kasha and it said to use an egg so I assumed this was "the right way". And then I'd had some mushy results when I decided adding the egg just wasn't worth it (I really don't like eggs). But I'm going to follow your advice and try again. You've inspired me to make this dish

          Reply
          • kseniaprints says

            November 28, 2014 at 12:55 pm

            You definitely should. It's dead simple - definitely toast the kasha first.

            Reply
    3. Sarah says

      November 26, 2014 at 8:24 pm

      Happy birthday, indeed!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        November 28, 2014 at 11:01 am

        Thank you, friend!

        Reply
    4. ratna says

      November 30, 2014 at 10:10 pm

      Congratulations on your 100 th post. I'm bookmarking this recipe to try soon.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        December 01, 2014 at 4:50 pm

        Thank you, Ratna!

        Reply
    5. Laetitia says

      January 19, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Thank you for this recipe!
      I was wondering: do you need to toast the buckwheat if it comes from a pack of pre-toated kasha?
      And another question: what hot sauce do you usually serve it with?

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 20, 2015 at 9:54 am

        Yes, you should toast the kasha a little bit. I find that it starts to caramelize the groats and keeps the kasha from going mushy at the end. I've done it both ways, and the groats fall apart a lot less if you give them a light toasting in a pan in the beginning (my mom does this with rice as well).
        I have been enjoying my own homemade Thai chile hot sauce (adapted from this recipe http://honest-food.net/2011/08/21/homemade-chiltepin-hot-sauce/), but otherwise I love Sriracha.

        Reply
    6. Laetitia says

      January 20, 2015 at 11:52 am

      Thanks for the advice!

      Reply
    7. Jenny says

      April 21, 2018 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      How many servings does this yield?

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        April 23, 2018 at 9:38 am

        4 big servings, or 6-8 smaller ones 🙂

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Meatless Monday: Once A Week, Give Veggies A Chance To Be The Star : OnlineCakesHub says:
      March 15, 2016 at 3:32 AM

      […] Buckwheat Kasha with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms. This robust pellet plate is Russian in start and will leave we confident for hours. If we like […]

      Reply

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    Privet, I am Ksenia Prints! A food and travel blogger, photographer and storyteller. I help adventurous home cooks explore the world through healthy, beautiful immigrant recipes.

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