How to Cook Buckwheat Kasha
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Buckwheat is a superfood that you may not know about. It’s definitely under-appreciated and under-utilized in the US, but everyone should know how healthy and scrumptious it is! I love it more than rice or quinoa. It’s also completely gluten free!
It’s name is a little deceiving because it’s called buckwheat but there is no relation to wheat – none whatsoever! It’s also just as simple to make as white rice. My son loves buckwheat with this mushroom gravy on it and I love it plain with butter (pickle on the side of course).
We’ll be rolling out some really yummy buckwheat recipes like this buckwheat with mushrooms so be sure to pin this one for later! Also, read on to learn why buckwheat is so good for you! 🙂
Ingredients for Basic Buckwheat:
1 cup toasted buckwheat groats
1 3/4 cups filtered water
1-2 Tbsp butter, to taste (I used unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste (I used sea salt)
Note:
I love this buckwheat sold at the Russian store because it usually comes pre-toasted and is golden brown in color. If the buckwheat you buy is not toasted, you can quickly toast it on a dry skillet over medium heat 4-5 min until it is golden brown in color then remove from heat and proceed with the recipe.
How to Cook Buckwheat (Stove-top Method):
1. Rinse and drain buckwheat well.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine buckwheat groats with 1 3/4 cups water, 1 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for 18-20 minutes. Just like with rice, you should hear hissing while it’s cooking and it will get quiet when it’s done. Stir in additional 1 Tbsp butter if desired.
How to Cook Buckwheat (Rice Cooker Method):
Transfer all ingredients to the rice cooker and set on the white rice setting. When it’s done, add an extra Tablespoon of butter if desired and stir in 1-2 tsp water to moisten up the kernels if they seem a little dry. Serve hot.
Buckwheat Nutrition info:
Buckwheat is a great source of Potassium, Fiber, Protein, Iron, and Vitamin B6. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, and zinc, which are great for the immune system. Yeah it’s definitely good for you and much healthier than white rice. 🙂
How to Cook Buckwheat Kasha
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted buckwheat groats
- 1 3/4 cups filtered water
- 1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter, to taste (I used unsalted butter)
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste (I used sea salt)
Instructions
Stove-top Method:
- Rinse and drain buckwheat well.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine buckwheat with 1 3/4 cups water, 1 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for 18-20 min. Just like with rice, you should hear hissing while cooking and it will get quiet when done. Stir in additional 1 Tbsp butter if desired.
Rice Cooker Method:
- Transfer all ingredients to the rice cooker and set on the white rice setting. When done, add an extra Tbsp of butter if desired and stir in 1-2 tsp water to moisten up the kernels if they seem dry. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Info: Buckwheat is a great source of Potassium, Fiber, Protein, Iron, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, and zinc, which are great for the immune system. Yeah it's definitely good for you.
Do you get creative with buckwheat (grechka)? I’d love to hear how you prepare and serve it. Are you a gravy lover too? Let me know in a comment below. I’m always looking for new ways to cook this stuff up.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I had a layover in Moscow once and ordered a Buckwheat dish for breakfast. It had green onions and I believe other ingredients which I can’t remember… served with sour cream. Does this ring a bell?
I’d love to know what it is & how to make!
Thank you 🤍
Hi Roberta, I think I haven’t tried that dish yet. But thanks for the idea and suggestion.
I tried your recipe twice and for some reason my buckwheat comes out more like porridge even after 10min of cooking on low. I add pasta (bowties) and fried sliced mushrooms and diced onions with soya sauce (to taste) – the way mom used to make it!
Hi Jenn, it’s the type of buckwheat you are using. See my suggestion for sourcing buckwheat in the post above. I hope that helps!
I’ve been making it in the pressure cooker lately. Such a simple and healthy way to start the day and it’s fast!
I hadn’t made kasha in a long time, so I couldn’t remember whether to boil the water first or cook it all together. I just made it now, and I find that when I cook the buckwheat mixed into the water, not only does it turn out mushy, but not all the grains cook evenly. Next time I will boil the water first. I remember now that that’s how I used to cook it and it turned out nice and fluffy.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Maria!
I love kasha. Thanks for the basic recipe, which is what I needed. I like it as a side like rice, but I also like to make tabouli with it! I don’t use the traditional tabouli proportions (i.e, mostly parsley and hardly any grain); I like to be able to taste the kasha! But I put in parsley, onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, mint leaves, and salt. Yummier and healthier than bulghur wheat.
You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
I’d never cooked with buckwheat until I searched for a Ukrainian comfort food, and it truly nice. I wanted to share something through food, as I thankfully can not feel fully what they are going through at this time. I hope my Ukrainian friends can enjoy Kasha in peace again soon.
Can whole grain buckwheat be used as a hot cereal (ex., cream of wheat), if so, how do you make some? Thanks.
Hi Db, I haven’t tried milling buckwheat for hot cereal. You might need to google that for a better answer. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, I just haven’t experimented with that.
I make it just the way the above recipe specifies, and mix it with Greek yogurt with fruit on top (sliced banana and blueberries is my favorite). It’s one of my best quick and easy breakfasts.
Yum! I’m so glad that you love it!
can I PUT BUCK WHEAT IN OVEN FOR A FEW MINUTES AFTER BOILING? HOW LONG
Hi Gloria. I have not tested this to advise. You may try researching on google to see if you find what you are looking for.
Hi Natasha – what’s the difference between steam Buck wheat and roasted buck wheat – both look the same in packing!
thanks
Hi SJG, we prefer the roasted. We buy roasted buckwheat groats – they tend to stay firmer and are less likely to become mushy.
Amazing
I used the stovetop method as per your recipe and it came oit perfect! Congratulations on making healthier food more accessible. Thank you!
I’m so glad it all worked out, Roni! Thank you for your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha I just wanted to know,the buckwheat it has to be soaked before cooking?
Hi Eliane. No, I did not soak it first. I rinsed it. I also used toasted buckwheat groats.
Hi Natasha I recently went to a restaurant where we were served a soft cooked buckwheat with a crunchy buckwheat on top of the soft then on top of all this was a slow cooked kangaroo tail in a gravy. Lovely my question is how do you get crunchy cooked buckwheat have failed several times trying to replicate the soft and crunchy by I loved it and would like to use it more frequently at home. Thank you
Hi Jenny, I have found that it has everything to do with the type of buckwheat you buy at the store. You might swap it out for a different brand or try what I recommend above in the post.
Great! Saved in my Pinterest! I love grechka buckwheat
Usually i buy it here
Thanks for pinning, Olga! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Perfect Russian buckwheat! I’m originally from Belarus and love my buckwheat porridge on a regular basis. This recipe is very authentic and makes the best buckwheat.
I would recommend using only authentic Russian buckwheat to cook this. I buy my buckwheat on Amazon, because my closest Russian store is too far away to drive. I tried using Bobs Red Mill buckwheat and it’s just not the same. You know it’s good buckwheat when the raw kernels have a dark brown color. The light brown kernels just don’t do the trick.
I couldn’t agree with you more! Thank you for your great feedback, Angelica!
Thankyou for explaining quality and brand of buckwheat. I am just starting to use buckwheat thus needed to know how to cook it. I bought flour, next time will buy the kernels.
Love your buckwheat recipes- I eat it for breakfast with apples, kefir, a little milk, sliced almonds, chia seeds and a bit of cinnamon on top. I have found cooking it in the instant pot is easiest. I place one cup of Russian roasted buckwheat with one cup of water into the pot and cook for 9 minutes at the low pressure setting. It come out perfect- not mushy all the time and stay well in the frig for several days.
Hello Dana, thank you for your comments and feedback about the recipe. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I love it plain too but my family likes it the way my mom used to make it so I cook it like her.
Sauté 1 med onion and 1 med carrot and 5 tablespoons of oil. Wash 1 cup buckwheat and throw it over onions. Add 3-4table spoons med salsa (we like the flavor and veggies that go it) or just crushed tomatoes (3/4 can). Add salt and black pepper and 1-2 bay leafs. Add 2 cups water, mix well and bring it to a boil then slow cook for another 10-15min. You can garnish with chopped dill or parsley! It’s delicious and much healthier than rice for sure 😀
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Can you tell me about cooking roasted buckwheat Kasha in an instant pot. Do I need to soak it first?
Hi Linda, Here’s what one of our readers wrote using an Instant Pot, I hope this is helpful. “Just wanted to leave feedback about an instant pot/pressure cooker method. I found another recipe before I came here so I had done the 1cup of buckwheat to 2 cups of water ratio. I ended up doing 2 cups of buckwheat so we have plenty. It only took 4 minutes of pressure cooking. But I managed to forget to release so it kept warm for another 8-9. It turned out perfect! Maybe something to test..maybe 5 or 6 minutes with quick release. 🙂 After getting a pressure cooker, I’m always out to make all sorts of things in there!”
I’m going to use this kasha recipe to stuff cabbage rolls. It’s so much better than rice.
Sounds good and yes, so healthy too!
This buckwheat turns out perfect every time! Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
great ideas well done
Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
Today was my second time cooking Kasha. I followed the recipe except instead of adding butter, I used coconut oil. My kasha came out mushy. Could you tell me what I did wrong? Was I to boil the water first or just add all ingredients and then turn on the stove. I would love to find out the perfect way of making it, seeing that I have a 50lbs. bag of it. Thank you.
Hi Natasha, did you use roasted buckwheat? We buy roasted buckwheat groats – they tend to stay firmer and are less likely to become mushy. Any buckwheat I’ve purchased from European markets (like this one with Russian writing on the package), have all worked great. We buy common buckwheat and not dehulled buckwheat.
Should/could I still coat the kasha with egg before cooking in my rice cooker?
Hi Shari, I haven’t tried that but I think it could work fine.
Haven’t made this in along time bought some today. Have kidney disease that is worsening so have to eat well. I used to beat an egg very well and stir it into the kasha before cooking. I really enjoyed it. Didn’t do that today so will save for breakfast tomorrow. Would like to see a recipe mixing veggies into the kasha
Thank you.
I grew up on Kasha.
Love your recipe!!
My Ultimate Comfort Food. You are an amazing Chef! Please keep it Goin! FYI- So many people that I know when I say Kasha, they don’t know what I am talking about! Do you know how to make make Kasha Varisniskkes with Bow Tie Noodles and Hamburger? Probably the best Comfort Food Dish on Planet Earth. If you would Like the recipe I would be happy to share. Harry, from, Kentfield, Ca.
My mother made buckwheat kasha stuffed cabbage for Christmas Eve they were my favorite served by putting warm butter over them would u have the receipe
Sounds delicious, Eileen!
I remember my polish grandmother-making saurkrught & buck wheat pirogies
I grew my own buckwheat this year. It is black when ripe; the black is the hard covering. Is this a good variety to cook too?
Hi Dawn, I haven’t tried cooking with black buckwheat so I’m not sure. You might google that.
Dawn, the black cover is a shell that needs to be removed.
Can you double or triple this recipe? And how much water would you need?
Hi Olga, when double or tripling, I usually add slightly less water. You can always add a little more if needed.
Hello Natasha. Thanks for the recipe on cooking buckwheat groats as a cereal. I loved it and have always eaten cream of buckwheat never whole berries. I used your recipe and it worked perfectly as overnight recipe. I just toasted the buckwheat and put in a mason jar while still hot and poured the 1 3/4 c. boiling water over it and left it sit until the water was absorbed. I covered it, put it in the refrigerator overnight and voilá!, it was perfect for me. Just take what you want and heat for a few seconds in the microwave. That was my experience. Next I am going to try your buckwheat and pork recipe!
That’s so great Rick! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I love Russian buckwheat and ALL of your recipes! But the one difference in this recipe, is if you buy buckwheat from a regular store and whether or not you try to toast it, it immediately will turn to mush. I couldn’t get to the Russian store today and tried with organic buckwheat. Almost the second it started to warm, it turned to complete mush with pieces of uncooked buckwheat. I haven’t cooked with anything but the Russian kind before. Just a heads up.
Hi Irene, there are some in American supermarkets that will turn to mush which is why the source is so important.
OMG so true! It happened to me 2 times! And all i wanted is nice falling apart like grains.. also wanted to have my childhood buckwheat where mum would boil it the we would have it cold with milk and a little sugar, so good on a hot days…
Once cooked I try finely chopped onion in butter then add some mushrooms add it to cooked frosts. Served with Greek yoghurt swirled through it. Heaps of black pepper.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
The grechka that Amazon link leads to is outrageously expensive! The same 1.5 kilo bag costs $8 at my local Russian store in the SF Bay area.
I have used cooked kasha instead of ground beef to make a delicious, vegetarian stuffed pepper.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Paula!
Making it in the Instant Pot is a breeze. I used 1 cup of kasha to a 1 1/4 cup of chicken stock and a couple of TBs of butter. 4 minutes on high seems to do the trick. I like is mushy so I dont let it quick release
Isn’t that the best!! Thank you for sharing that Alex!
I like making a side dish with several grains. Buck wheat, barely, wild rice, flax seed , just what ever i have on hand and mix up.
I cook each grain separately to keep flavors pure. Then mix them up and add some miniature bow tie pasta frome international dry soup. Butter or a light gravy and yumm.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Excellent! Thank you. No more mushy Kasha.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Christopher!
Starting eating Buckwheat Kasha a little over a year ago. It’s supplanted oatmeal as my favorite breakfast meal, but I also like making Kasha Varnishkes with mushroom sauce. I’ve even used sausage gravy in it (like one would have with biscuits)…very tasty!
That does sound tasty! Thank you for sharing that with me, Sabrina!
I am trying to find a brand of the kasha that has good flavor and ratings. Which one would you suggest?
Hi Sue, I don’t have a bag in my pantry to give you a brand right now but any of the bags from European markets are generally good. The ones sold in big box grocery stores in the US like Winco are no good and turn to mush.
Whole Foods bulk is excellent. My 90-year old mom loves it. I store in a large rubber sealed mason jar. Some WF’s stores label it “toasted buckwheat.”
Yes! I’ve heard good things about WF buckwheat. Thank you Gary!
Hey Natasha! Just wanted to leave feedback about an instant pot/pressure cooker method. I found another recipe before I came here so I had done the 1cup of buckwheat to 2 cups of water ratio. I ended up doing 2 cups of buckwheat so we have plenty. It only took 4 minutes of pressure cooking. But I managed to forget to release so it kept warm for another 8-9. It turned out perfect! Maybe something to test..maybe 5 or 6 minutes with quick release. 🙂 After getting a pressure cooker, I’m always out to make all sorts of things in there!
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Thank you for testing this for us! I was just going to ask Natasha for a pressure cooker time suggestion!
Well, I did it but it was mushy, maybe my groats. I did make it perfectly in the Ip (once) but I remember that I changed the suggested time and amout of water (that was posted on another site). I just remember being so happy and shocked it worked, but I tried making it again by trying to remeber what I did and its was wrong because it came out dry. I wish I wrote it down the first time. This time it was mushy. Try if you like, but I came back to post that if you get overcooked grains just add maple sugar, milk and food process it up. It is edible and topped with coconut flakes, berries, chia seeds, dollop of whipped cream…etc it looks like your flop was intentional.
I make Paella with buckwheat. Everyone likes it much better than rice. My father baked ground liver and buckwheat.
Andie Zajaceskowski
That’s just awesome!!
Hi Andie, do you take same ammount of rice and replace it with buckwheat?
I come from a Jewish background
and my family has cooked Kasha
I was a small child. I’m 77. I have
always used it as a breakfast cereal.
1 cup Kasha, 1 egg scrambled and mixed with the Kasha in a sauce pan until well coated. Add
2 cups of boiling water and stir
until liquid is absorbed. Serve in cereal bowl with butter and sugar. Makes great breakfast treat.
.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Chuck!! I’ll have to try that!!
In my Ashkenazi family, kasha was the stuffing of choice for roast turkey. I still make it in a method similar to Chuck’s. I add the kasha to the egg and then fry in schmaltz until the kernels are separate from each other. Then I add a good stock (usually turkey) and toss in a handful of raisins. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-9 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Delicious smothered in gravy.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for the recipe!
Can I also cook buckwheat in a rice cooker? Would the measurements and directions be the same?
Hi Grace! You sure can! I have a few notes in the recipe on how to. “Transfer all ingredients to the rice cooker and set on the white rice setting. When it’s done, add an extra Tablespoon of butter if desired and stir in 1-2 tsp water to moisten up the kernels if they seem a little dry. Serve hot.” Hope this helps.
Irene Epsenhart
I had the mushy problem until my almost 90myear old mother straightened me out. Her side of the family is Russian.
I was bringing it to a full boil and lowering the heat. This is the problem.
She boils the water in a teapot, adds it to the pot with kasha, covers, stirs, and brings it to a simmer. Stir occasionally.
Leave a little of water to be absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff it up with a fork anfd bon appétit!
Thank you for sharing your mother’s version with us Gary!
Have you tried making it in instant pot yet? i just got an instant pot and was looking for a recipe. Still new to it so I am not sure how long I would cook it for.
Not this specifically But here is one of our Instapot recipes! 🙂
thanks. Can’t wait to make this plov recipe.
You’re welcome!
How to make the buckwheat more softer, should I ad more water, or longer cooking?
Hi, for a softer buckwheat, add a little more water and increase the cooktime.
I eat roasted buckwheat Kasha every day or at least 5 times a week!
I love it!
Thanks for the info and the recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know what you think when you decide to make it!
My Ukrainian boys love it with condensed milk drizzled over the top. : )
Oh yum, that sounds delicious Kristin! Thanks for sharing!
Can I soak buckwheat overnight with almond milk and yogurt to have it for breakfast?
Hi Kim, I honestly have never tried that or seen it done. We always cook the buckwheat. Have you seen it done that way online? I would suggest a google search for that one.
Kim, I just made my overnight oatmeal (oat groats) and included buckwheat groats as well as wheat berries, all cooked in a crock pot overnight on low.
Measurements — 1 cup of grains to 4 cups of water, 1 tsp salt. Cook on low in a crock pot.
I love buckwheat groats with butter, salt and pepper. But I was wondering how much water would you use to make a single serving?
HI Javonni, you could pretty easily cut the recipe in half using a small sauce pan with a tight fitting lid.
Add crumbled bacon, green onion and chopped and sautéed mushrooms. It is amazing.
My mother used to make Buckwheat Golombki on Fridays because we couldn’t eat back then. I’m checking out your recipe because I forgot how to cook the buckwheat that I got in the Russian store. I’m making the Golombki tomorrow. Can’t wait because its been years.
I hope you find it helpful Helen! Please let me know what you think!
The buckwheat gloom ki came out great. Nostalgia going on today. Love all your recipes!
I’m happy to hear that Helen! Thanks for sharing!
I also have leaky gut syndrome so I have been enjoying buckwheat every morning cooked in unsweetened coconut milk topped with berries, more coconut milk, shredded coconut and honey. So far I prefer my buckwheat not toasted but I’d like to try roasting it myself to see if that makes a difference.
Hi Salena, thanks for sharing that! My sister Anna is CNS, RN and she also has leaky gut and just started a blog about the healing benefits of leaky gut. It’s incredible for me to start learning about it and how it affects people and causes various problems and disease processes. I hope you have a chance to check out her blog!
I like to make it and then add olive oil, salted Roma tomatoes, as well as chopped fresh parsely.
Yum, great suggestion Flo!
Is delious as an alternative for rice in cabbage rolls. Can be used as a combination of mashed potatoes dill kasha, bacon bits sauted onions in a crust similar to pot pies.
I love your ideas! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I use the stove top method with 1 water to 1 3/4 buckwheat tsp of butter and at the end I mix it with fresh celery and parsley. I love the nutty flacor of the wheat and the crunch celery !
Yum, that sounds delish! Thanks for sharing Paul!
Do I have to add butter? can I add a little olive oil instead?
Hi Charlotte, the butter really amplifies the flavor I haven’t tried this recipe without it yet.
Thanks for the instructions on how to cook it. I have leaky gut and supposed to avoid grain, but feel deprived without it (I also have adrenal fatigue and need some for energy). I am going to cook it and add coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, blueberries and chopped walnuts (when I have them). This is how I liked my oatmeal when I had it.
Please let me know how it turns out Sandy!
My late grandmother was from Russia and has evidenced the poorer years in her youth. She made buckwheat oven porridge with loads of butter. I mean a LOADS of butter. And it was best served the next day, when it was heated in a pan with a butter and when put on a plate, you added another good chunk of butter on top of it. No wonder I had all that energy growing up! 😀 Yet, I must mention, not she on none of us surprisingly never gained extra weight. But now Iḿ looking for different ways of cooking buckwheat and as I write, there is some boiling on the stove.
Ha! That is common in the slavic world. My Mother always made the best pasta and rice because of the butter! Same thing in our family – we didn’t go out to eat much at all growing up and there weren’t really any serious weight problems. I suspect that eating homecooked meals (even with all the extra yummy butter), is what kept us healthy growing up 🙂 Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Was in a Russian project in UAE. learned only two russian word. and that I ate that for over a month regular at noon, partly as I never new any other words and also partly coz I loved the dish
“Grechikha and svinina”
Never could get the love for Grechikha out of me. so started cooking it at home now my son is also big fan of it
That is so great! It’s such a healthy grain 🙂
I am gluten free so I brought some of my own food while visiting friends.
I invented a new breakfast while there.
Buckwheat eggs florentine!
I used some spinach as the first layer, then the buckwheat and topped it with a fried egg.
YUM! Thanks for sharing your great review Amy!
In India buckwheat is cooked by women during religious fasting. Obviously very healthy and easily digestible. I have just started cooking it as I am not comfortable with wheat,rice or quinoa. So far I feel good eating it. I got the porridge buckwheat first and then the groats and have been looking at various ways of cooking it and came upon your site. In India flat breads called chapaties and fried ones called pooris are also made with buckwheat flour.
Thanks for sharing your insights with other readers! 🙂
My Slovak partner told me how his mom prepared the roasted buckwheat so it wasn’t gooey. Boil it for only 3 minutes, then put a tight fitting lid on it and turn off the heat. Let it sit and finish cooking for 15-20 minutes. I like to ‘fluff’ my rice/kasha with a fork before serving to separate the grains and it is light and soft.
That is a great suggestion – thank you!! 🙂
Our family tradition is to make cabbage rolls (holubshi) with buckwheat, untoasted variety, fried salt pork and onions mixed in. A lot of work but well worth it!
Mmm that sounds great!!
Do you have a similar recipe where instead of water you’d use milk? In other words, it would simmer in milk for some minutes. I remember my mom used to make it, and it tasted better than the water version, though was a bit trickier to prepare as far as I remember. Thanks!
I don’t have anything like that unfortunately.
I’ve never heard of milk, but I have made kasha with sauerkraut juice instead of water. Then I mix in some sauerkraut after it’s done cooking. It makes the kasha about 20x tastier in my book.
Hi, In India we have two types of Buckwheat, one without peel other is peeled one. Please let us know for this receipe, we have use peeled buckwheat or without peal
I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen unpeeled buckwheat in stores here in the US. I believe it is the peeled one. Does your peeled one look like what I have pictured here?
I have been eating Buckwheat Groats for more than 50 years. My grandmother was Polish and always had it in the house.
I frequently have it for breakfast, but cook it a bit differently than outlined here. I usually brown up a 1/4 cup in a tablespoon of butter and then add a cup of hot water and simmer for 12 minutes. To serve it, I add lots of butter and salt.
Thank you for sharing your method! We are major buckwheat fans over here so I’ll be trying your method :).
Aha— just like the directions for Rice-a-roni. I’ll have to try that. Thx!
Hello Natasha; thank you for this insightful post. Going ‘buckwheat’ is a foreign concept to me but I now feel a little more comfortable, thanks to you. My question relates to the selection of buckwheat in the stores; the variety can be fairly intimidating. Whole Foods and Mom’s Organic carry a handful of varieties, to include hulled, dehulled, groats, roasted, etc. Can you clarify? Thanks in advance for your time.
Buy roasted buckwheat groats – they tend to stay firmer and are less likely to become mushy. Any buckwheat I’ve purchased from European markets (like this one with Russian writing on the package), have all worked great. We buy common buckwheat and not dehulled buckwheat.
Thank you for your response! I will look for those at our local shop.
Do you happen to have a picture of the buckwheat brand you bought? I live in Las Vegas, there are a few Mediterranean markets but no Russian markets. Can you please post a picture so i can see what brand it is so i can order it or have someone bring it to me from California? I have made buckwheat before and it came out mushy, probably because it wasn’t the correct kind. My husband loves Buckwheat (Greshka) so i want to make it soon.
Tina, check your email. I just sent you the picture. Hope this helps.
I received it, thank you!! =)
‘I love it more than…quinoa…’.
Whoa. Talk about damning it with faint praise. Sorry, I’m so not a quinoa fan. After several tries the mate and I gave it up as a lost cause.
This looks lovely though. Will be making it tonight to sample. Hoping to be able to sub it for rice (tired of brown rice), and eat it for cereal. Yours was the only ‘start here’ recipe I found in the first 3 pages Google threw at me. I’m not ready to be making blini or my own soba noodles just yet. So Thank You!
Welcome to the site, I hope you love cooked buckwheat groats. Our family eat this all the time. We eat it just as often as rice, if not more. 😄.
This was oddly the only thing I have been able to keep down in days (I’m in my first trimester). I smothered it with Brassica & Brine’s Four Thieves kraut (divine). Great recipe!
Oh and it’s so good for you too! I’m so happy it agrees with you in your first trimester. Buckwheat is a sort of superfood! That kraut sounds fantastic (did you know sauerkraut is one of the best natural probiotics?)! Where do you purchase that brand?
Indeed! My tummy has been off all day. I opened the fridge to look for the pickles you recommended and eyed my kraut and my tummy went, “ding ding ding!”
😉
Brassica & Brine is a locally-made brand here in L.A. They sell at farmers markets. It’s probably the best kraut I’ve ever had! Very well-balanced and easy on the stomachs. They’re really great to just talk to about all things fermented 🙂
http://www.brassicaandbrine.com
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Buckwheat used to be a luxury to eat in many families in Belarus. It is one of my favourite porridge and I can eat every day. We do have special recipes when you put buckwheat and milk together overnight but it is mostly done for dieting by our women.
That’s interesting! Thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
I must be doing something wrong! I followed the instructions but the water got absorbed by the buckwheat really quickly so I added more and it all turned to mush! Help, please! Ps I used kasha roasted buckwheat
Hi Voy, where did you purchase your buckwheat? Some places (like Winco) just have really bad quality buckwheat and even if it says “toasted,” it turns mushy. Also, did you test your buckwheat when the water was absorbed to see if it was cooked?
Hi Natasha
It was from a local Turkish shop I think. The water was absorbed within a few mins so I thought it was strange if you recommend 18-20 mins cooking.
That is odd. I’ve never had that happen before. Are you certain you used the same amount of water?
buckweat in a ricekooker comes out perfectly (only if it is pre-roasted)
Also – pre-roasted cooked buckweat is good then to stir fry with butter.. very tasty.. also for the good buckweat it is important to cover it after taking out from stove and wrap it in the blanket for an hour (similar effect in the pressure cooker on the “keep warm” option).. then it will come out all grain non stick together and very fluffy.. russian grandmas use to do this …
Thank you so much for sharing that! Wrapping it that way also makes it a great make-ahead option!
I buy toasted buckwheat at Nuts.com and mix it with raw hemp seed and chia seeds. I mix a tablespoon or 2 of this mixture into yogurt, oatmeal, or cottage cheese along with fresh fruit. It’s better if you let it sit overnight. The buckwheat stays somewhat crunchy and nut like. Great take along breakfast!
I also make delicious cabbage rolls with buckwheat and mushrooms instead of ground meat. One of my favorites.
That’s so interesting!! Does the buckwheat soften overnight in yogurt and can be eaten uncooked?
Yes, it is crunchy but not hard. I always used to put almonds or cashews in my oatmeal/yogurt/cottage cheese but am trying to cut calories. The buckwheat gives my the same crunch.
Hi Natasha,
I just found your blog while looking for a recipe for cooking buckwheat.. thanks for the tip about grilling it first, I popped it in the microwave and zapped it until brown, like I do when grilling nuts… it worked fine.. I really loved the taste of the cooked buckwheat.. I didn’t use butter, but added some oat/hazlnut milk at the end, which added a really nice flavour and texture, I also added chopped apple pieces to the water, yum ! and then I added blueberries and sunflower seeds with a stream of maple syrup at the end.. What a delish breakfast.. in every bite. I am surprised I have never cooked buckwheat kasha before, my grandfather was Ukranian!! I never met him, though.. Unfortunately.
But, I bet he ate this often.
Thanks… Leesa
Welcome to the site Leesa 😃. Thank you for sharing your delicious ideas with us! Buckwheat is definitely a staple among the slavic people. It’s wonderful that you can keep those traditions alive.
Hi Natasha!:) I’ve been wanting to try buckwheat for a while, but haven’t been able to find it at the store – a few days ago, I *finally* found some at the local Whole Foods:) However – their buckwheat was labeled as “Raw Buckwheat Groats”… Can I still use this for buckwheat recipes?
Oh gosh, wow – just noticed your note on how to toast it in the skillet! LOL! But now I can’t wait to try this!! Your recipes are absolutely fool-proof – they always come out fantastic!
Emily, thank you for the compliment and I hope you’ll find many more favorites here 😊.
I mix the dry,toasted buckwheat with one egg, let it soak for a few minutes, turn it into my iron skillet and toast until the egg coating is completely dry. Add stock or water, simmer for 20 minutes or so. Fluff it up nad let it rest with the lid askew while you finish supper. Delicious with pork roast and pork gravy.
Thank you for sharing your version 😀.
To avoid the development of ‘mush’ my mom used to toast the dry buckwheat with an egg in a skillet. This separated and coated each kernel of buckwheat. Then it got added to browned onions with water to boil it up. My mother-in-law added “bows” to it (semolina noodles in the shape of bows).
Linda, what a great tip, thanks for sharing. I would like to try it out, just need to buy more buckwheat 😁.
Anyone else cook the buckwheat in the rice cooker amd it was over cooked? I like tje convinience but it looks like porridge. Still tastes good.
A rice cooker usually works by cooking until all the water is gone. If you are getting overcooked buckwheat, the most likely reason is too much water. Cut back on the amount of water you are using and see if that fixes the problem.
my (late) dad used to luv this cold (next day) with cold milk & sugar 🙂
Isn’t it wonderful how food brings back memories of loved ones? 🙂 Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
I mix it with my porridge every morning.
I love buckwheat with boiled milk in the morning especially with almond milk and honey! Yummy
Mmmm honey and almond milk sound great!
I love buckwheat! Thanks for bringing the spotlight to it!
It’s such a wonderful and healthy food and I don’t think it gets nearly the attention that it deserves.
As all proper Ukrainians, I love buckwheat! Recently I purchased buckwheat (not from the Russian store, as usual and a big mistake). As I cooked, the grains turned to mush even before the water would boil. I tried again. Same thing! And again…
Reading your post I realized that they must not have been roasted. Thank you for that tid-bit, I will try roasting them and see what happens.
If it’s really mushy, you might add a little less water too, but yes toasting the kernels definitely helps 🙂
This is one of the greatest meal. But we put butter is already ready. Anyway buckwheat is one of most useful meat for your body and soul. And today buckwheat is one of the product which is GMO free. You can mix buckwheat kasha with everything you want ex. meat, tomato sauce, kidney beans, even gherkins. I like kasha with onion and garlic, fry a bit 2-3 minutes and then add to kasha and the of course butter a bit. Also buckwheat has a lot of folium acid, if you want to have children eat with your husband eat buckwheat kasha and be always strong 🙂
I agree there are so many health benefits for the entire family. Thank you so much for sharing how you like to prepare it 🙂
I love buckwheat. Unfortunately my husband doesn’t, so I don’t get to eat it very often. I do remember eating it like cereal as a child – with just milk over it (of course after it was cooked). I preferred it warm, but my brother liked it with cold milk.
Maybe you could sneak some barley into his diet, like with the chicken and buckwheat kotleti that I posted today? 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/03/03/chicken-and-buckwheat-patties-kotleti/
I just made grechka in my pressure cooker yesterday, and I love how it holds it shape very well and cooked through, when I did it on stove top I didn’t like how it all falls apart. I did use less water though 1:1 ratio and just a tiny bit more water maybe 1\8 c extra, topped with butter during cooking, high pressure for 4 mins, then 10min Natural pressure release. Great results!
My rice cooker is similar in that the kernels turn out more formed and firm than on the stove. I haven’t tried making this in a pressure cooker. Thank you so much for sharing your tips with me for how you made it! I’m sure someone else will have questions about making it in a pressure cooker :).
Обожаю гречку! But my husband not so much. So I just mix some buckwheat with jasmine rice so both of us can enjoy. 🙂
I totally love the idea of mixing buckwheat with rice. That is brilliant!
My mom makes buckwheat kind of like plov. I used to hate the taste and smell of buckwheat until she made it like that. I might have to ask her how she makes it and share it with you.
That would be wonderful!! That is brilliant to make it like plov, especially if it made a buckwheat fan out of you 🙂
i love Buckwheat too, enjoy it plain or with beans, spices, salsa, and sour cream, soooo good. Thanks for showing me how to toast it.
Hi Sheri! Thanks for sharing how you like buckwheat. All of that sounds so good and now I’m hungry all over again 😉
I am in love with buckwheat. I am holding you responsible Natasha – I can’t get enough of it. And thanks to all your lovely respondents I know now about buckwheat for breakfast.
Good thing its good for you, Ian! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe.
My husband loves to cook steak and have buckwheat on the side. That’s usually what he cooks for both of us when IM Working late. Buckwheat with gravy sounds delicious, what kind do you do?
Steak and buckwheat sounds sooooo good! I’m so glad you asked about the gravy! I just posted my easy mushroom gravy today :). Here’s the recipe: https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/02/18/easy-mushroom-gravy-recipe/
I always used to go back to your original buckwheat post and omitted the mushrooms (when I wanted plain buckwheat), and now I have a new post to go to. 🙂 I need to make buckwheat more often-I really do love it!
I remember eating warm buckwheat with milk when I was younger…kind of like oatmeal?
I’ve had several people say they enjoy it with milk. I haven’t tried that, but it does sound like a nice and healthy breakfast! 🙂
I love love buckwheat!! I like to eat it in many ways! I like it with milk, just cook buckwheat how you usually do it and then when I heat it up the next day I add milk just like cereal. I also cook soup with buckwheat (similar to rice soup) and I love to eat it with warm fresh bread with butter, Yumm!
Mmm sounds so homey 🙂
We love grechka at our house. I usually make it with mushrooms, or buckwheat soup, and I’ve also tried stuffing a bird and baking it in oven. All very good if you’re a fan of grechka. Now, I know some people cook it in milk but I did not like that at all. I guess it depends on what you’re used to.
I haven’t tried cooking it in milk but I sure love all of your suggestions! Thank you so much for sharing! How do you make the soup? We’re big fans of buckwheat in our family.
I believe olgasflavorfactory has the soup recipe. She uses beef, I usually do it with whatever I have, chicken or Turkey.
Thank you so much for sharing that! 🙂
Buckwheat is the best like cereal, I just make sure that I don’t cook it with butter. THE best breakfast food for me! Love it! 8)
So you just cook it in water? Do you add milk or just enjoy it plain?
Thank you for posting this recipe. I actually bought some buck wheat from Russian store cause my hubby is a fan of it. And I haven’t made any. For I wasn’t sure how. I don’t like buckwheat in general and the smell too. But with gravy I can comprimise. Now how to get my kids to try it too.
My son eats it with gravy over the top :). Have you tried giving it to them with gravy? I’ve also snuck it into meat patties (katleti) and my son ate them up!
I love buckwheat! I was so excited when I found it here in the US.
I cook it with chicken drumsticks a lot. I pour biking hot water over buckwheat and cover for 5min, then transfer it to a baking dish, place chicken drumsticks on top. Then place some pieces of butter on top of everything and season to taste with pepper, Veggetta seasoning, and some herbs. Cover with foil and cook @350 for about an hour. Take away the foil 5mun before taking out of the oven.
I love how buckwheat gets cooked in the chicken juices… So yummy 🙂
That’s brilliant and I absolutely love your idea! How much buckwheat to water do you use? I’m so excited to give it a try!
I use 2 cups of water per each 1 cup of buckwheat.
Thank you so much Nadya!! 🙂
Hi Natasha, Thank you so much for this recipe. I was waiting for it :-). I can see the the whole Mendeleev Table is in a grain of buckwheat. Great food! may I ask, how should I adapt it for oven cooking? Thank you,Adi
I don’t currently have any oven-baked buckwheat recipes but I do love the idea of making a casserole buckwheat recipe. Thanks for the idea! I’ll add it to my list of things to experiment with 🙂
Thank you so much Natasha
I stuff duckling with buckweat, i mix buckweat with spices i like , diced onions, grated carrots and stuff the duck with it. Then i bake it in the oven. Buckweat comes out soooo flavorful and delicious,. Iprior to stuffing the duck i cover it generously with mayo,&blk pepper inside and outside, that way the meat is flavorful also
That is a great idea! I love that you are using buckwheat as stuffing and I’m sure it tastes amazing!
Mix about two cups (cooked and cooled) with an egg, press into a pie plate and bake 20 minutes. It’s a fantastic crust for a quiche. I do it with millet all the time.
That’s brilliant! I love it! Thank you for sharing your creative idea! 🙂
I love how you posted this! Putting grains like this into dishes is SO EASY and yet it packs the meal with so much good nutrition. Love this!
Thank you Shelby :). That’s so true! We use buckwheat quite a bit in our house and like to get creative with it :).
My family loves kasha. I have also cooked it in broth for extra flavor and have topped it with either sautéed onions or mushrooms. A dollop of sour cream on the side is also yummy.
I love the idea of cooking it in broth and adding onions with mushrooms. We love the mushroom version too (I have a recipe posted in the first paragraph of this post). I also love it plain. Buckwheat is just great all around! 🙂
I love buckwheat! I made some just yesterday. Thanks for the recipe.
Me too!! I crave it every time I look at the pictures. I’m a major fan 🙂